The Scent of Roses
by Mewlon
Summary: It's strange how certain things such as scents can trigger the deepest part of the mind and memories. And it all started with a man who dreams about planting wild roses. Firion x Cloud, Cecil x Tidus, Onion Knight x Terra, Zidane x Bartz, WoL x Squall
1. Chapter 1

_Hey there, this is the first time I've written anything in the Dissidia section. I recently got a PSP with a copy of this game and practically fell in love with it. I haven't been this hooked since I got Super Smash Brothers: Brawl and Team Fortress 2. Anyway, as I played the game I practically ended up getting Cosmos' side pairings. How could I avoid them? They are too cute for words. So naturally, I decided to write about them._

_Warning: This fic contains shonen-ai. Shonen-ai means boy romance as in romance between two males. If you do not like that sort of thing, please go back. There is also a straight pairing in this fic, so if you don't like straight pairings along with your cup of yaoi, then go back because I tend to add in that sort of thing._

_Pairings:_

_Firion x Cloud_

_Cecil x Tidus_

_Onion Knight x Terra_

_Zidane x Bartz_

_Warrior of Light x Squall_

_Heavily implied Cloud x Aeris_

_I might add in Chaos' side pairings into the mix but for now, those are the set couples in this fic, though it focuses more on Firion and Cloud. The fic follows the actual storyline while adding in more things into the mix so it won't be an exact copy of the story._

_With that in mind, if I haven't scared you off or bored you to death, on with the story._

**The Scent of Roses**

**Chapter I**

"…Cloud…wake up…" came a soft, delicate voice from above the fallen man. Lying on the soft, green ground, a young man dressed in a dark blue turtle neck and puffy navy pants slowly opened his ocean blue eyes. He saw a bright, blue sky with several small ivory clouds. He could smell roses; which caused him to sigh slightly. He slowly sat right up and gazed at his surroundings. He appeared to be in a field filled with nothing but flowers as far as the eye could see.

He placed a hand upon his forehead as if trying to intact everything he was seeing. His gloved hands ran through his spiky, blond locks of hair. As he continued to admire the scenery before him, he took notice of a lone figure off at a distance. Curios, the young man got up from the ground and approached the figure. "Hey," he said softly, "Where am I?"

The figure standing before him was that of a young woman garbed in a pink dress. Her long, chestnut colored hair was twisted in a braid and held together by a pink ribbon in her hair. Her back was turned towards the blond man, so her facial features were not exposed to him. "Silly Cloud," she said, "Have you forgotten this place? This is what I wanted to do…grow flowers so that the entire world could see."

Cloud, the blond man remained silent. He was confused and a bit lost.

"You know," spoke the woman, "You always were confused about everything…confused about what path to take in life…confused about who you are…confused about everything. It didn't matter to me, you were the one I've wanted to meet, but for now…you should wake up."

"Huh?" Cloud let out, "'Wake up'?"

"Wake up! Wake up!"

Cloud gasped as he opened his eyes. He was no longer in the field of flowers but rather in what appeared to be some sort of abysmal area. The bright, green aura that flew through the air reminded him that he was near the Lifestream. He squinted his eyes as he saw a youth kneeling next to his body. The younger man was a blond with sparkling blue eyes. His tan complexion somehow complimented his short, yellow hoodie and black shorts. A silver necklace dangled around his neck and touched his well toned bare chest. He smiled at Cloud as he saw him come to.

"Hey, he's awake!" shouted the cheerful blond, "For a minute there you guys thought he was dead."

"I did not think he was dead," spoke a deeper male voice, "Just merely worried about his condition." A dark shadow approached Cloud. It loomed over him, just to check on how he was doing. The shadow appeared in a man in armor. His violet helmet had a strange design on it, which it looked like some sort of face. Six horns emerged from the side of the helmet, making the armor look slightly demonic. The man appeared to be taller than the cheery blond next to him. "He doesn't seem to be injured in a fatal manner," spoke the armored man, "though his head is bleeding a bit."

"Man…" said the blond, "Those Manikins really did a number on ya."

"Tidus," replied the armored man, "Please be courteous to him. He's been through a lot and if it wasn't for Firion, he might have fallen just like the others."

"Yeah, yeah…I know," Tidus, the cheery blond, replied as he scratched the back of his head, "Sorry about that…um…say, what's your name?"

"If you back off and let me get up, I might tell you," responded Cloud in a harsh tone.

"Yeesh, alright…" Tidus slowly backed away from Cloud, "Talk about touchy."

The armored man chuckled lightly as he too, backed away from Cloud, allowing the fallen warrior to breath. Cloud slowly got up from the dirt ground. He staggered a bit as he tried to regain his composure. The armored man quickly placed his hands on Cloud, trying to support him "Careful," he said, "Allow me to…"

"No," Cloud said as he brushed away the armored man's hands away, "I can do this. Just give me a moment."

"Oh…of course," the armored man recoiled from Cloud.

"Heh…it seems he's quite touchy around you too, Cecil," Tidus chided.

Cecil, the man in armor, shook his head at the younger companion. "And you're quite as cheeky as ever."

"Maybe," Tidus smirked as he placed his hands behind his head.

Once Cloud had regained his composure, he examined his surroundings. Just like he thought, he was at the entrance of the Planet's Core. The light green abyss glowed brightly underneath the small ground platforms he and the other two stood on. Cloud approached the edge of the platform he was on and looked over at the Lifestream. He tried to remember what he was doing there and why. His memories became slightly fuzzy, but whatever the reason, it had led to him fighting some sort of creature.

He looked around at the empty abyss, as if trying to find some sort of answer. _I came here for a reason…but what was it? _He thought, _what was the reason why I'm here? _His eyes wondered from platform to platform. He swore he could still see some sort of faint image of what happened. He would see himself jumping from each floating island to the other avoiding a dark cloaked figure as it swung a sword madly at him. He followed the images until it lead him to a broken island. Wedged on the ground appeared to be a rather massive broadsword. Even though his memory was fuzzy, Cloud remembered very well that he wields that sword.

He jumped from platform to platform until he reached his beloved blade. Pulling it from the ground he placed it on his sheath situated on his back. _So there was a fight that broke out, _Cloud thought, _yet whoever it was…left me at the hands of those Manikins…but why? What good did that do if I was losing this battle anyway? Was it really…? _

"You seem to be doing alright," a gentle male voice spoke, "And you seem to be up on your feet. That's good."

Cloud searched for the source of the voice. As he looked up at the floating platform above him, he found that the source was a slightly tanned young man. His long, silver hair was tied in a rough ponytail while the rest was held together by an orange and beaded bandanna. Rogue silver bangs covered parts of his face, framing it slightly. His enchanting brown eyes, though a dull color were brilliant. A light blue cape was draped over his dark gray armor. He smiled sweetly at him. "For a minute there," he said, "I thought you might have been a goner, just like the rest of them."

Cloud remained quiet as he stared at the young man. He didn't seem at all interested in what he had to say.

"Oh, forgive me for my rudeness," he continued as he jumped from the platform he was on onto the one where Cloud was standing. "My name is Firion. I believe you met my companions: Tidus and Cecil. We're quite glad you're alright. And you are?"

"…Cloud," responded Cloud.

"Cloud? Interesting name…anyway, I am glad you are alright. If you do not have any other pressing matters at hand, I would like to ask you to join my group. We've been traveling for quite a while trying to search for other lights that might have survived the war. Do you know of any?"

Cloud looked away. _Do I know any? _He thought, _it's hard to tell. _His eyes shifted towards his Buster Sword as he pulled it out of its sheath. He stared at it long and hard as if trying to figure out something. _There were others…including the original owner of this sword. How I managed to survive while he didn't…_

"Um Cloud?" Firion interrupted.

"There were…others," Cloud said, "However…I believe I'm the only surviving member now. The group I was traveling with is gone."

"Oh…I…I'm sorry to hear that. It must have been a tragic loss for you. I, too, have lost my group to the hands of Chaos. Everyone dear to me is gone. I ask upon my, Tidus', and Cecil's behalf to join us. We could cover more ground, have a good chance of surviving, and have a good chance of finding other survivors. I tried to convince another man to stay with us, but he decided to head off on his own. I believe his name was Squall."

"Squall?" Cloud let out. Even though he could not put a face at the moment, the name did ring a bell for the confused blond. "The name sounds so familiar…"

"You know him?"

"I think I do…" Cloud replied, "It's really difficult to remember at the moment…"

"No matter…come with us. At least you'll be saver than by yourself."

"Alright then…Firion."

Later that night, the group had left the Planet's Core and were situated in a desolate wasteland. Nothing but lonely, rocky mountains and crevices as far as the eye could see. The dark, violet sky was illuminated by the full moon and the millions of stars. A cold wind brushed up against Cloud; however he didn't seem to mind. Tidus, on the other hand, let out a shiver. "He-hey!" he said, "It's getting rather cold here!"

"It is?" Cecil asked, "I can't feel anything."

"That's because you're wearing armor, ya dork!" Tidus let out.

"Maybe you should wear more clothing," Cecil retorted in a kidding manner, "It's not wise or safe to wear such revealing clothing."

"This just so happens to be my Blitzball uniform. I told you already."

"How about we stop fighting and think about setting camp here," Firion interrupted, "Though I hate to ruin your little lover's quarrel." The weapon master smirked as he got a disgusted look from Tidus and sadly no expression from Cecil due to his helmet. However, Firion could tell that Cecil wasn't exactly smiling under his helmet.

"Oh shut up!" Tidus barked at Firion, "You're just jealous because I have somebody and you're by yourself, isn't that right, Cecil?"

"Right…go on and have Cecil," Firion said, "I'll actually go and get myself a WOMAN."

As the three of them continued to tease each other, Cloud walked away from them, not wanting to join in their bickering. He looked out at the distance and saw nothing but canyons. The more the mercenary stared at them, the emptier he felt. Somehow, Cloud could associate himself with the canyons. He closed his eyes for a bit as he tried to intake the cold serenity that was around him. Once he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the canyons but rather back in the flower field. He could smell the roses once more as they teased him slightly.

"Cloud…" came the soft voice again. Cloud turned around to meet again with the young woman dressed in pink. Her back was still facing him.

Cloud blinked at the girl. "You…" Cloud said softly. He extended his hand out towards the girl as a name rolled off the tip of his tongue. Suddenly the girl turned around to face him. The field around Cloud quickly disintegrated into nothing but dirt ground. The gentle blue sky darkened into a starry night one. The girl's looked changed to that of a rather concerned Firion.

"Cloud? Cloud!" Firion let out, "Are you alright? You sort of spaced out for a while."

"Huh?" Cloud shook his head as he came too. He looked over Firion's shoulder to see a small bonfire. Tidus sat next to the bonfire as Cecil stood a bit away, looking over the canyon. "What went on?"

"You tell me," Firion said, "You sure you're okay? I think that bump on your head must have done something to you."

"I'm fine…really; you don't need to concern yourself over me…"

"But Cloud…"

"Ever."

Firion took in a deep breath. "If you say so," he responded, "Cecil is taking the night watch at the moment, then I'll switch with him. You and Tidus will have this night's rest but tomorrow night you're both taking watch."

"Fine," Was all Cloud managed to say as he walked towards the bonfire. As he walked past Firion, Cloud could have sworn he smelled the roses again. He wasn't sure if he was going crazy or not at the moment, but the smell this time felt too real. He shook his head as he quietly sat down next to the bonfire to keep warm. Tidus was huddled over next to the fire. He rubbed his hands together, trying to keep warm at the moment.

After a moment of silence, Tidus turned his attention towards Cloud who seemed preoccupied in his own little world. Not wanting to be bored nor one to keep quiet, Tidus decide to start a conversation with his new companion. "So…where are you from?" he asked in a casual manner.

Without looking at him, Cloud replied, "Midgar…originally from Nibelheim."

"Nibelheim? Where the heck is that?"

"Off in the mountains."

"Well I'm from Zanarkand. I used to play Blitzball for the Zanarkand Abes. We were the best players back where I came from. You know, if I somehow manage to find a way back home, you should totally see some of our games and…"

"As interesting as that sounds, I would like to rest," Cloud said in a stoic manner.

Tidus wasn't sure if Cloud was being sarcastic or if he really did mean that he was interested. "Oh, okay. You know…it really sucks that we don't have any tents. The ground doesn't seem too comfortable and we've been sleeping like this for days now. Man, what I'd do to get a tent. Rosebud! We REALLY need tents!"

Firion chuckled lightly. "If we can find a shop or a merchant we can buy some," he said, "As for now, the ground will suffice."

Cloud zoned out. He laid on the harsh, cold ground beneath him. Closing his eyes, he let the cold embrace of sleep envelope him. As Cloud slept, he dreamed of fire. He could hear screams all around him. The warm blood dripped from his wounds. All around him he only saw the bodies of his fallen companions. Each of them disappeared into the darkness. Manikins surrounded Cloud. Each of them had eyes that burn brightly, and each of them hungry for his blood. A dark figured appeared before Cloud. In its hands was a long, steel blade. Its tip was drenched in fresh blood from its earlier kills. The blade was pointed at Cloud. The tip of the sword was barely brushing against his tender neck. The shadow spoke to Cloud in an inaudible dialect. Cloud tried to make out what he was saying, but could not figure out what was coming from his lips. What bothered Cloud the most was that the aroma of roses emerged.

With a slight gasp, Cloud awoke from his slumber. Once again, he found himself in the canyons known as the Lunar Subterrane. Though it was still dark outside, a small ray of light touched his light colored skin. As he moved, the mercenary took notice of a soft cloth underneath his head. He tugged at the clothing, taking notice that it was a light blue cape. _When did I…? _He thought as he sat right up. He looked at the cape

The soft cloth underneath Cloud's fingers actually felt warm and inviting. _Did he leave this here for me? _He thought as he looked around him for Firion. However, he was nowhere to be found at the moment. Only people Cloud found were a sleeping Tidus on the opposite side of the campfire and an ever watchful Cecil to the edge of the canyon's surface. Cloud turned his attention back to the blue cape. A strange scent emitting from the cape caught his attention. Slowly he brought the cape to his face and took a short whiff of it. Cloud's eyes widen as he recognized the scent. _Roses…_he thought, _was he the source of the rose scents I've been smelling all this time?_

Cloud somewhat relaxed as he continued to breathe in the sweet scent. He didn't know why that scent always seemed to relax him. It was like some sort of catnip to the blond man. It didn't help that the cape was soft as well, only adding in to the comfort.

"Hey Cloud," Tidus said in a drowsy manner, "Did you…?" He stopped in mid sentence as he saw a rather peaceful Cloud sniffing on Firion's cape with a starry look on his face. Cloud stopped as he looked over at a rather disturbed Tidus.

"Um…" Cloud let out.

"No, no!" Tidus responded as he got up from the ground, waving his hands in front of him, "Don't mind me. Continue what you're doing. I'll just…go and check up on Cecil to see what we're going to about breakfast." With that, Tidus left Cloud's side. Cloud felt rather embarrassed at giving the wrong idea to the younger blond. Though, deep down, Cloud didn't care. To him, he really had nothing to lose or gain from pretty much anything. _It's strange…_Cloud thought, _but this scent reminds me so much of…_

"Hey, good morning," said Firion as he walked over to the bonfire. Slung on his back was a sack filled with food. "Glad to see that you're up. Good, since we are used to waking up early."

"I'm not much of a sleeper," Cloud said as he pulled the blue cape away from his face and offered it back to Firion.

"Oh, thanks," Firion took the cape from Cloud's hand.

"Why?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you give me your cape?"

"Well, you're injured and I didn't think it was a good idea for you to rest your head on the ground."

"You don't need to concern yourself with me. I told you that I was fine."

"I know, but I was just concern that's all."

Cloud looked at the ground for a moment before he said, "Thanks anyway."

Firion smiled in return. "Your welcome."

"I'm HUUUUUUUUUUNNNNGRY!" whined Tidus from afar.

Cecil unfortunately couldn't escape his constant whining. The older man sighed, "Listen, when Firion gets back, I'm sure he'll have something for us to eat," he replied.

"Hey!" Firion shouted, "I brought back food!"

"Oh thank the gods…" Cecil murmured gently.

"Alright!" Tidus let out as he rushed over to Firion, "Way to go, Rosebud! What did you bring me?"

"Alright, alright…settle down, Tidus." Firion placed the bag on the ground and opened it. He searched around and pulled out some dried meat, bread, cheese, and apples. Tidus quickly took a hold of some bread and dried meat and munched on it happily. Cecil took his share and made a small sandwich. He slightly lifted up his helmet and took a bite out of his meal. Firion took out dried meat and handed it to Cloud. "Here, you'll need your strength. I found a small shop nearby. There didn't seem to be anyone in there and it looked abandoned. However, I took only the unspoiled merchandise and left. I fear that whoever owned that place had fallen victim to the Manikins."

"Any tents in that shop?" Tidus asked.

"No…there really wasn't much there. I did manage to get us a few potions though in case we run into anymore Manikins."

"You've done all you could, Firion," Cecil added in, "We should be grateful that we have food at the moment. Shelter will have to wait until we can find a nearby town and hope that there is some sort of life out there."

Cloud took the dried meat from Firion and ate his fill. The rest of the day, the four of them continued to walk through the Lunar Subterrane. Tidus would often run ahead of the group. His boundless energy amazed even Cloud to a point where he thought Tidus was like a child on a sugar high but will never crash. Even though his body was present with the group, Cloud was off once again elsewhere. His mind still lingered in the field of flowers.

Tidus would often turn around and notice that his three companions looked quite spaced out. Often Cecil would glance out towards the distance, as if trying to look for something or someone. Firion would often play with his fingers, as if holding onto something. And of course, Cloud was off daydreaming again. The athlete frowned at the sight. He wasn't one who enjoyed silence and neither will they. "Hey!" Tidus shouted. That alone caught the attention of all three older warriors. "You know, you guys are very quiet right now. Usually you guys would be talking."

"I'm just thinking…that's all," Cecil said, "But if you wish to have a conversation, I'll be more than happy to oblige."

"Sorry if we bore you right now, Tidus," Firion replied, "Just that I'm calculating if we're heading the right direction."

"Where ARE we going?" Cloud asked.

"We really don't know," Firion said.

Cloud cocked his eyebrow. "If you don't know why do we keep walking this way?"

"To tell you the truth, we're just trying to find other survivors at the moment. Also supplies as well. Once we find other people, we might be able to figure out how to find our ways back home. According to a wise warrior I have met when I arrived in this world, in order for any of us to go home, we'd have to bring order back into this world. As of right now, Chaos and Cosmos are fighting. With both forces at each other, who's to say what will happen to us. All we know is that Chaos' power is growing by the minute. You've seen them, right? All those Manikins that are shaped like us."

"I have…" Cloud said, "I've managed to fight several of them before."

"That's why we have to find others…in order to try to build up a rebel army to fight the powers of Chaos. Only way to do that is to find others like us…those that carry a strong aura of light."

"Any success?"

"Well…we found each other," Cecil added in, "That's worth something."

_Worth something? _Cloud thought, _what could I be worth for? These guys seem to see everything in a bright light, unaware that what we might be doing is pointless. Not to mention all this aimless walking doesn't seem like we're getting anywhere soon. _

"Hey look!" Tidus shouted as he pointed towards a lone figure walking around the Lunar Subterrane. "What is that?"

"Doesn't appear to be a Manikin," Cecil said, "I don't sense any darkness from it either. Perhaps it could be a lone traveler?"

"Let's go check it out."

"Careful," Cloud said, "You may want to take precaution. We don't know if it really is a friendly or not. Just because they don't harness any dark aura doesn't make them an ally of ours."

"We'll take your word for it," Firion said as he decided to approach the lone figure. Once the figure came into complete view, he chuckled as he noticed what it was. "Well, what do you know?"

Standing before Firion was a tiny Moogle carrying a rather large backpack full of items. The Moogle looked up at Firion and squeaked. "Kupo!" he let out, "I'm glad I found customers!"

"Customers?"

"Yes! I'm a traveling merchant. You can call me Stiltzkin. I've been wandering this wasteland for days now in hopes to find other life forms. All I've seen are these glowy type people who only want to hurt me, kupo."

"And you managed to escape?" Cecil said as he approached the Moogle, "Your poor little Moogle. You can't stay out here by yourself. You should come travel with us. We could sure use a merchant."

"Really, kupo?" Stiltzskin replied, "I promise I'll be a valuable assist to this team!"

"This is great! We have our own traveling merchant," Firion said, "I'm Firion, this is Cecil, over there is Tidus, and last we have Cloud."

"Kupo!"

"Hey little guy!" Tidus said, "Do you have any merchandise on ya at the moment?"

"Oh, I have plenty of things you can select from my wares."

"How about tents and sleeping bags?"

"Oh, I do have some in stock."

"Great! We'll take four!"

"Oh…" Stiltzskin frowned, "I'm sorry but I only have two tents and two bags. I lost most of my tents when I was running from those creepy things."

"Great…only two." Tidus frowned.

"It's more than enough," Firion said, "Only two really sleep at a time since two of us are the look out at night. So it works out. Of course if anyone really wants to share a tent with someone…"

"I'm so not sharing it with you," Tidus quickly interrupted, "I have the feeling you'll grope me when I'm asleep."

"Oh yeah…because you have such a fine butt," Firion joked.

Stiltzskin looked around. "Kupo…where do I sleep?"

Cecil knelt down to Stiltzskin's eye level. "You can sleep in my tent. I'm sure whoever is going to be sharing it with me won't mind."

"Really? You're very nice, kupo! Cecil is the nicest!"

"Wait a minute!" Tidus let out, "Who said that Firion and Cecil can take the tents?"

"We did just now," Firion added in, "So…you have to choose now, Tidus. Who do you want to sleep with: me or Cecil?"

"That soooo did not sound right. Since you sound dirty I'll go bunk with Cecil…he's cooler because he has that armor on."

"Huh? Me?" Cecil turned to face Tidus.

"Yeah! You're defiantly the coolest out of the entire team. You're the strongest out of all of us and you fight in kick ass armor."

"Please…I don't deserve such praise. I'm just trying to protect everyone I know."

"And you have a kind heart too! It's like you're a gentle giant or something."

"The only reason Cecil is a giant is because you're so short," retorted Firion.

"Hey, hey! I'm NOT short!" Tidus pouted, "You're just too tall! Stop growing!"

Firion chuckled as he petted Tidus' head, as if he were a child. Cecil joined in the laughter as they now had a pouting Tidus on their hands. Cloud watched from the sidelines. He blinked as he saw the three warriors joking around, as if not having a care in the world. _It's like nothing seems to affect them, _he thought. _Sometimes I wonder…if I should be more carefree like them. But then again, I wouldn't want to be caught off guard._

Off in the distance, a shadowy figure watches over the four warriors. A malevolent smile appears upon its pale lips as its shiny emerald colored eyes kept locked upon Cloud's figure. "Very soon…" it spoke, "You shall fall into the shadows. You can't avoid destiny…Cloud."


	2. Chapter 2

_I am not too sure if I actually caught anyone's interest with this fic. I hope I did. Anyway, I would appreciate it if people could critique me on it, in case I do something wrong, or if I'm doing something right. You don't have to review, but I'd greatly appreciate it. Still, I'd like to thank the people that did review and the ones that put me on their alert list. Also if you do enjoy the fic, I'm glad you do. I just like hearing from people._

**The Scent of Roses**

**Chapter II**

Evening came upon the four warriors. Taking this opportunity, Firion decided to set up the tents while Cecil left in search of water. Taking several canteens that Stiltzkin had, the armored warrior set off on his journey. Tidus nibbled on a piece of dried meat. His attention slowly shifted towards the ever so quiet Cloud. "So…what did you used to do before this mess happened?" Tidus asked, hoping to strike a conversation.

Cloud shifted his dark blue eyes over to the younger man. "I was a mercenary," was all he said.

"A mercenary, huh? That explains the big ass sword you got."

"This sword…" he said as he looked over at the Buster Sword, "It originally belonged to a friend of mine."

"Did he…?"

Cloud stared into the fire. He remembered that faithful day. The blond mercenary could still hear the gunfire. How the bullets zipped past his ears, hoping to get that one fatal shot on him. He was still quite groggy and couldn't move much due to the Mako that was injected into him. Soft, black locks would brush against his face as his friend continued to carry him away from danger. Knowing that they couldn't outrun their assailants, his companion hid him in a crevice. Taking out the Buster Sword the valiant SOLDIER rushed into battle. Cloud did not see what happened during that battle, but the screams and gunshots could only paint a picture in his mind. He tried to move, but his body wouldn't let him.

"What was his name?" Tidus asked.

"His name?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah."

"His name…" Cloud pondered for a moment. His mind tried to place the pieces of the puzzle together. He could barely make out a face. Shimmering blue eyes that spawned innocence and joy complimented his slightly pale complexion. "…Zack. He was…my best friend."

Tidus frowned as he noticed the tone of voice Cloud was giving out. "I'm sorry," he said, "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It's fine…" Cloud replied. _Just that…I barely remembered just now. How could I have forgotten Zack and…her as well? _He thought. _Her…the flower girl…why can't I…?_

"Hey!" Firion called out, "I'm quite tired so I'm calling it a night. Just keep an eye out for Cecil. If he doesn't come back in an hour, one of you guys go look for him."

"Alright, we'll go look for your boyfriend," Tidus joked.

Firion rolled his eyes as he slipped inside of his tent and closed the flap, leaving Tidus and Cloud alone once more. Stiltzkin trotted over to Cecil's empty tent and crawled inside. Cloud looked down at the half eaten dried meat in his hand. Though his stomach demanded the meal, his will did not allow him to.

Cloud enjoyed the silence of the night, while Tidus, on the other hand, was slightly fidgety. He despised being bored and not to mention, being quiet. He sighed as he tried to find something to waste some time. "I wonder where Cecil is," he said, "Think I should go look for him?"

Cloud turned his attention to Tidus. "If it will stop you from squirming around, then yes, go look for him," Cloud said, "I'm sure Cecil will appreciate someone going to find him. Though you should be careful not to get lost yourself."

"Don't worry," Tidus replied as he got up from the ground and dusted himself off, "I'll be back before you know it!" Without a moment's hesitation, Tidus bolted from the camp ground in search of Cecil. He rushed through the empty, cold canyon, disregarding the cold chill that crept up his neck. After a while of searching, Tidus become dishearten. "Where is he?" he asked rhetorically, "and how could someone try to look for water in a dump like this? Guy probably got lost out in the desert searching for water."

Tidus looked behind him and saw a small glint of light. _That's probably where the camp is, _he thought, _good thing I didn't wander off too far not to see it. Still, I'm kinda concerned about what happened to Cecil. _A strange noise interrupted the blond youth from his thoughts. Curious, Tidus followed the sound. He climbed over a small rock wall and peered over the edge. There was a small oasis surrounded by slightly dried up grass. The water looked quite tranquil as the light from the moon reflected off its surface, making it shimmer, until a silhouette emerged from the water.

Tidus couldn't keep his eyes off from the beautiful woman in the oasis. Her snowy colored hair breached past her shoulders. Small, violet beads decorated her hair and sparkled brightly with the moon's light. Though he saw only her back, the woman turned her head slightly, revealing her pale face. Her dark, lavender lips complimented her rich lavender eyes. Next to her appeared to be small canteens. _Is she real? _Tidus asked with a blush, _She's so beautiful._ He tried to lean in for a closer look, but unfortunately his hand slipped from the wall, causing a few rocks to drop into the water. The water maiden turned her attention to Tidus who quickly vanished from sight.

_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, _thought the youth, _she probably saw me and thinks I'm a pervert!_ _Need to get out of here! _

"Hey!" shouted a voice. A rough hand touched Tidus' shoulder, causing the boy to freeze in place.

"Gah!" Tidus let out, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…!"

"Tidus?"

Tidus looked up to find no one other than Cecil. The dark armored warrior was holding onto the canteens in his hands. "Cecil! I'm so glad you're alright. I was looking all over for you, but keep it quiet."

"Hmm? Why? Are we being followed?" Cecil asked in a cautious tone.

"I…there's a woman over on the other side of this wall," Tidus said, "I think she spotted me and wants to kill me."

"A woman? I was over there a moment ago and I didn't see anyone there."

"What? Really?" Tidus carefully climbed up the stone wall and peered over to see the oasis as empty as the Lunar Subterrane itself. He cocked an eyebrow at the lonely scene. _Did I just imagine her? _He thought, _No she seemed too real to have been fake…_

"Oy, Tidus…" Cecil said softly, "should we get going? It's getting rather late."

"Okay…let's…"

Cecil slowly made his way back towards the camp with Tidus. Tidus stopped one last time and looked over at the rock wall. He sighed as still remembered the woman in the oasis. Eventually both warriors arrived at the camp where Cloud was busy looking at the stars while both Stiltzkin and Firion were asleep. Cecil patted Tidus' back before he headed off to his tent that he was sharing with Stiltzkin and crawled inside.

Tidus quietly sat down next to the fire and played around with a stick, poking at the fire. He looked over at Cloud, who seemed quite spaced out at the moment, though in reality, he was keeping a sharp look out. "You know," Tidus said, interrupting Cloud's thoughts, "I just saw a vision…something I don't think I ever seen before."

"What did you see?" Cloud asked as he slowly looked over at the younger man.

"I saw a moonlight beauty…"

"What's a 'moonlight beauty'?"

Tidus sighed as he looked up at the night sky. "A Moonlight Beauty is someone who's looks are out of this world. Looks that consists of pale features that make her look like the moon. I don't mind how a girl looks, but she was…wow…very amazing to look at." Tidus couldn't help but fantasize about the "woman" he saw in the oasis. He couldn't forget how radiant her hair was, especially with her tiny jewels. The young athlete imagined her to be some sort of a shy, yet mystical being.

The next morning, Tidus couldn't help himself. He had to tell everyone in the group about the previous night. "She was right there, Firion," Tidus said, "She looked amazingly gorgeous."

"Uh huh…" Firion commented, not sure of what to say on the matter, "And this 'Moonlight Beauty' of yours…you sure you weren't just imagining her?"

"I'm sure! She was in the oasis, naked, and bathing! She had these beautiful purple eyes, white, silky hair with jewels in it, and skin as pale as the moon! She looked like she could have been taller than me, but damn, she looked hot."

Firion's eyes widen a bit after hearing the description of Tidus' mystery woman. He chuckled a bit as he remembered one key factor in his tale: Tidus has never seen Cecil outside of his Dark Knight armor. "Oh Tidus…" he said in a joking tone, "Or it could have been a man. You never know."

"What? There is no way that could have been a man, she had blue lipstick on and jewels….JEWELS in her hair!" Tidus continued.

_I could tell him that his 'Moonlight Beauty' is Cecil, _Firion thought, _BUT…I think its best if he finds out himself. Besides, Cecil should be the one to do so. Guy has been carrying the burden of darkness on his shoulders for too long anyway._

Cecil leaned over to Cloud and whispered in his ear, "What's Tidus talking about?"

"He keeps yammering about some woman he saw in the oasis," Cloud replied, "Did you happen to see her?"

"No…I was alone in the oasis, bathing."

Cloud stopped walking for a moment to piece the puzzle together. It didn't take long for him to notice who Tidus was talking about. Instead of telling the younger man, he decided to remain quiet, as this little matter didn't pertain to him.

"White hair…lavender eyes…?" Stiltzkin asked.

"Yes!" Tidus let out.

"That sounds like the legendary Lunarians."

"Luna what?"

"Lunarians, kupo! Legend has it that they're a race of people that live on the moon. I only heard legends that only ONE Lunarian fell from the moon while the others slept. They're magical beings that are beautiful beyond any human you'd ever see and quite strong in the arts of magic and advanced in technology. Maybe you managed to see the only Lunarian, kupo."

"A Lunarian, huh? That does sound kinda magical," Tidus said, "Maybe I did see a Lunarian…and a pretty girl at that."

"A Lunarian? Really?" Cecil asked. _That's strange…the moon in which they all were in left my home planet's orbit…how could a female Lunarian make her way here? And for what reason as well? _Confused by what was going on, Cecil pondered off about if he ever does find that female Lunarian and if so, if he should seek out his brother about it, that is, if he's still amongst the remaining forces on this planet.

The group continued to walk through the Lunar Surface. Off in the distance, strange, colorful pillars could be seen. The skies lighten slightly, as if leading the way to the crystal pillars. As the group eventually arrived in the Crystal World, Cloud was amazed by the sight. He had never been in this area and was almost hypnotized by the beautiful crystal pillars.

Scurrying over to one of the pillars, Tidus examined the crystallized wall. His reflection glowed on an orange surface. He smiled as he made a face at the crystal which was reflected back at him. His gloved hand brushed against the smooth surface. Cecil examined the crystallized walls. He tapped against them lightly.

"This entire place…" Cecil said softly.

"It's made entirely of crystals," Firion added in, "Amazing, isn't it? I couldn't believe it either when I first arrived here."

"You can say that again," Tidus added in, "This place even has little crystal statues. Heh heh, this one looks like me." The crystal "statue" cocked its head at Tidus, causing the blond athlete to jump back. The "statue" growled as it swung its sword at Tidus. Tidus quickly jumped back, barely avoiding the blade. The glowing orange creature rushed over to him, attacking him fiercely. "Ah! You guys…Manikin!"

Firion, Cecil, and Cloud turned their attention to the Manikin. The Ephemeral Vision looked at each warrior with a hungry look in its face. The blood lust from the fake Tidus could be seen in its eyes. Another growl emerged as a second Manikin approached the group. A pink glow emitted from the fake fighter as it cocked its head at the group. The Transient Lion twirled the fake Gunblade in its hands as it eyed the four warriors.

"Let's split into two groups!" Firion shouted, "Cecil…Tidus, you two fight the one on the left, Cloud…you come with me and we fight the one on the right."

Cecil extended his armored hand. A long, fierce looking lance appeared from the shadow energy that Cecil had created. Tidus wasted no time grabbing his Brotherhood sword from Stiltzkin's inventory and jumped ahead of Cecil. Before the Dark Knight could react, Tidus blindly rushed in, delivery a Spiral Cut against the Ephemeral Vision before him. The orange replica easily dodged the movements before taking into the air and roughly kicking Tidus in the chest. Once the Vision jumped a bit away from the injured blond, it attacked him with Energy Rain. Chi energy flew from the Ephemeral Vision and onto damaging Tidus.

Cecil scurried over to where Tidus was and attacked the orange replica with a swing from his lance. The replica was knocked away, but quickly recovered returning the slash at Cecil. Cecil quickly blocked the upcoming assault and countered with his lance. Taking the time to recover, Tidus quickly hopped onto his feet. He watched as Cecil knocked the replica into the sky and pursued him vigorously. Cecil slashed at the fiend with his lance, knocking him far into the air. The Ephemeral Vision dodged the incoming slash and countered.

Cecil grunted as he was knocked against a crystal wall. The Dark Knight was about to recover when the orange Manikin jumped up against him, slamming Cecil against the wall once more. The Ephemeral Vision snarled at Cecil as he had him pinned against the crystal wall. Raising its fake Brotherhood sword, the Vision swung at Cecil, but its blade connected against Tidus' blade.

"Sorry," Tidus said, "But I can't let you handle this alone, Cecil." Tidus pushed the Vision away then pursued him through the air.

Taking the time to recover, Cecil moved away from the crystal wall and followed Tidus. _Seems that I might have to get tough here, _Cecil thought as he approached the Ephemeral Vision. Gathering his inner power, Cecil began to glow. The bright light caught Tidus' and the Vision's attention. In a matter of moments, the dark armor came off from Cecil's body revealing a rather mystical Paladin. His white armor had light blue violet designs. His shoulder length hair flowed beautifully along with his light colored cape. The purple jewels in his hair shimmered along with his lavender eyes.

"The…" Tidus said as he stared at Cecil's true appearance. _The Lunarian…? _He thought _The Moonlight Beauty I saw at the oasis last night…was CECIL? _A blush appeared on Tidus' face, both from how stunning the older man looked and from embarrassment.

"Come Judgment!" Cecil shouted as he attacked the Manikin with a powerful strike of light. The Manikin shouted in pain as it dispersed into nothing but dust. Cecil gently floated down and landed on the crystal surface. He looked up at Tidus and smiled at him. "Hey, are you alright? You seem a little flushed."

"I…I'm…fine," was all Tidus could muster up in response as he landed on the same crystal surface as Cecil, though the blond kept his distance away.

"You sure?" asked the gentle Paladin, "You are quite redden. Do you need to lie down?"

Firion moved away from the Transient Lion. The ferocious doppelganger was dead set on taking the youth down. It zipped towards him at lightning speed and broke out a fierce combo of slashes. Firion took out his lance and used it to block. The strength of the replica was enough to push back Firion. In a swift motion, Firion regained his balance, knelt down, pulled out a knife, and threw it at the glowing clone.

The Lion groaned as the knife pierced through its body. Using his strength, Firion pulled the Transient Lion towards him. He took hold of the strange, crystallized clothing, and rammed himself against the clone, sending it crashing against a crystal wall. The force of the push was enough to shatter the pillar, breaking it into millions of pieces. The light, pink replica hissed as it dashes madly at Firion and assaulted him. The tip of the blade barely connected against Firion's armor.

Cloud took advantage of the situation as he rushed in to help Firion. Swinging the Buster Sword with slight ease, Cloud's managed to cut the replica. The Lion grunted as it took injury to its shoulder. The Manikin moved its hand over to Cloud's face and unleashed a blizzard shard. Cloud barely had time to react, resulting in the shard scrapping the skin of his forehead. The mercenary was pushed back from the impact of the hit. He clasped his hand over his wound as it bled down to his eye, blurring his vision.

He was knocked off his feet as the Transient Lion continued its assault. Firion took out his ax and aimed at the clone. With one mighty throw, the ax situated itself on the doppelganger's back. The Lion screeched in pain as it tried to pull the ax out of its back. Taking this opportunity, Firion pulled out his bow and shot an arrow to the Lion's head. The Transient Lion shattered into millions of pieces.

Cloud groaned as he sat up. Firion walked over to the mercenary and offered his hand. "Here," he said softly, "I'll help you up." Cloud looked at Firion's hand before he slowly accepted his help. Firion pulled Cloud up on his feet and smiled at him. "Glad to see that you're doing fine," Firion added in, "It's a miracle that there were only two of them. They usually come in hordes."

"Really?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah, it isn't a pretty thing…oh!" Firion let out.

"Hmm?"

"You got quite a wound."

"Its nothing. The bleeding will stop soon."

"Still…" Firion slowly took off his decorative bandanna from his gray hair. He leaned over to Cloud and tied the bandanna around his forehead. Cloud slowly moved his hand to touch the bandanna. The cloth was soft underneath his fingertips.

"I'm going to dirty it," Cloud said.

"Doesn't matter just as long as you're fine." Firion smiled at Cloud before he walked to Cecil and Tidus. Cloud couldn't help but ponder at the gentle gesture Firion did. A bright blush crept on his cheeks as he continued to touch the soft bandanna.

"Tidus," Cecil said, "You really don't look too well." Cecil leaned over to the younger man and placed his hand on his forehead, checking his temperature. Tidus' blue eyes widen as Cecil was now inches away from his face and his hand was on his forehead.

"Hmm," Cecil spoke, "You don't seem to have a fever of some sort…maybe you overexerted yourself. You should rest," Cecil moved away from Tidus; his hand left the boy's forehead and made its way over to Tidus' hand. Cecil gently grasped his hand. "I'll go and make us some tea," he said in a gentle voice, "Stiltzkin has some tea leaves and I got enough water to…"

Tidus tore away from Cecil. Without saying anything, the young athlete ran off, blushing from embarrassment. _Need…to get away for a bit, _he thought as he rushed off, leaving a confused Cecil. Tidus rushed passed Firion and Cloud before disappearing behind the crystal pillars.

Firion cocked his head as he watched Tidus run off. He slowly approached Cecil who looked as confused as he did. "Hey, what just happened?" Firion asked.

"I…I really don't know," Cecil responded, "One minute Tidus is fine and then the next he runs off all flustered. Could he be sick?"

"Sick? I…" Firion stopped in mid sentence. He took a moment to recollect the events that happened. His eyes widen slightly before he started to smirk then chuckle. "Cecil, can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

"When you headed off to fetch water the previous night…you wouldn't have by any chance taken off your Dark Knight armor, would you?"

"I actually did take the chance to do so. In fact, after I filled up the canteens I decided to take the opportunity to bathe. The water was nice and fresh and it isn't often we have a chance to bathe so…"

Firion's chuckle intensified. "So…it is true. Cecil, YOU'RE Tidus' 'Moonlight Beauty' that was he going about this morning. It wasn't female Lunarian that he saw."

Upon hearing that, Cecil blushed furiously. Someone had seen him bathing and confused him for a woman. Not to mention that said person who confused him for a woman found him attractive. "Oh…I…how could…?"

"Relax, Cecil. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm sure this whole mess can sort out."

"What's going on?" Cloud asked as he approached the duo.

"Seems we found Tidus' crush."

After quite an awkward moment, the group decided to rest in order to heal up. Stiltzkin searched through his inventory and found a potion. He handed the bright blue bottle to Cloud instructing him to drink it. Cloud sighed as he did as he was told. Immediately, he felt better, though was still sore from the previous fight. _It's strange, _he thought, _I wonder where all these Manikins came. I never did see any of these creatures back in my world. Not to mention, how did I end up here anyway? It's quite obvious I'm not in my world anymore. And I remember that I wasn't alone before I came here. I clearly remembered that Tifa was standing next to me. Even when I blacked out, I heard her voice. We were at the Planet's Core when that happened. Not just Tifa and me, but everyone…even…her? Why can't I remember her clearly?_

"Cloud…" spoke the same soft feminine voice from before, "You're starting to remember, aren't you?"

"You…" Cloud said softly. Sitting next to Cloud was the young woman dressed in pink. She was sitting at an angle so that most of her features were hidden once more. "Why can't I…remember you clearly?"

"Are you still regretting? Is your heart still full of guilt that your mind wishes to ease it by erasing everything? You fell into the Lifestream, Cloud…it's known to do such things to a living being. However, I think most of your amnesia results from what happened before. Cloud…you're not alone."

"What do you mean?"

"Cloud…you will be okay. You just need to let go. You…are alright, aren't you?"

"I…I'm alright?"

"Cloud…."

"Cloud!"

Cloud shook his head lightly. The woman in pink had disappeared replacing her once petite figure with the rather buff Firion. Firion cocked his head as he tried to examine Cloud's wounds. "I think you've had too many bumps on the head," he said, "You doing okay?"

"Mmm, I'm fine," Cloud replied, "I was just thinking."

"Thinking out loud…you were talking to yourself. At first I thought you were talking to me, but then…it was quite obvious that you weren't."

"I'm sorry…I just have a lot on my mind that I'm unaware of what I do."

"It's fine, really. I just wanted to make sure that you're not hurt or something."

Cloud looked over at the new campfire that Cecil had managed to put together. The snowy haired Paladin was now getting worried as he noticed the lack of their fourth member. He looked up at the darken sky and sighed. "I really hope Tidus comes back," he said, "I really must apologize to him."

"Apologize to him about what?" Firion asked, "For looking like the way you do? That's no excuse to apologize to him. I think he just needs some time think, he'll be back."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Easy, Tidus follows his stomach and he knows that the only source of food he's got is us."

Sure enough, a while later, Tidus did return to the group. He had hoped that they would have stayed put where he left Cecil, and fortunately for him, that they did. He slowly approached Cecil and sat down next to him. The older man had been busy drinking tea. He took notice of Tidus, though he frowned, thinking that he makes him uncomfortable.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Tidus said, "I shouldn't have ran off like that."

"It's fine…Firion pieced together the reason why you ran off," Cecil replied, "I'm sorry that I look like this. If it makes you feel better, I could just stay in Dark Knight armor all the time so that way you don't feel uncomfortable…"

"No, you don't have to do that!" Tidus waved his hands in front of him, "Cecil, you don't have to hide yourself just because of me. If you feel comfortable wearing one type of armor, then wear it."

"I feel comfortable either way. I just want to make sure that I'm not imposing in anyway."

"You're not. Seriously, you're not."

Cecil sighed softly, "If you say so. As for now, would you care for some tea?" To Cecil's right, Stiltzkin plopped himself down. The tired Moogle had quite a rough day carrying around his enormous backpack while avoiding any attacks done by the Manikins. He sighed as he drank a bit of Cecil's tea and munched on a few biscuits he had squirreled away.

Once Firion was done eating, he walked a bit away from the camp to keep a look out. He scouted the surrounding area in case there were more Manikins near by. The rebel climbed down from the crystal edge and landed on what appeared to be one of the few dirt ground islands that floated around, defying gravity itself. He looked over the dirt platform, trying to take a closer look at the surface below. Nothing but dark clouds and more dark sky appeared below him. It was as if they were all suspended in the air. Not one to want to question this world, Firion leaned against dirt wall. He extended his hand in front of him as if holding something.

A bright light emitted from Firion's hand. The light took the form of a ruby red rose. The rose itself, was blooming well and seemed completely flawless. Firion stared deeply into the flower as nostalgia took over him.

He could briefly recall his home.

_The town of Fynn was a quaint town which bloomed prosperously. The sounds of merchants, bards, and townsfolk boomed, spreading their cries of joy and serenity. A tiny child poked his head out at the window. His light amber eyes blinked as he stared into the busy streets. His gray hair was messy and covered his tan face. His eyes widen as he saw a strange dark purple swirl appear in the sky. It grew bigger with every rotation it did. Eventually it dispersed as if nothing happened._

"_Firion!" squeaked a voice, "Are you going to be staring at the window all day, or are we going to play?"_

_Firion looked over at a little girl, who was no older than he was. Her shoulder length, violet hair matched her shimmering dark eyes. Her dark dress barely brushed against her knees. She wore no shoes at that moment. Standing next to her was a young boy who was slightly older than she was. His violet hair was short, but rather unstable. His navy tunic matched his navy shorts. Much like the younger girl, he too, was barefooted._

"_Oh!" Firion let out as he hopped off from his small bed and landed on the cold ground with his bare feet. He fixed his light blue, sleeveless tunic and light brown shorts. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Maria."_

"_It's fine," Maria, the little girl, replied, "I'm bored and I want to play!"_

"_What were you staring at?" asked the violet haired boy._

"_Nothing Leon," Firion said, "Come on! Let's go play!"_

_Without saying another word, Firion bolts from the bed room and dashes to the main room. He quickly donned his sandals and dashes outside. Maria and Leon protested as they tried to keep up with their companion._

"_Firion! Wait!" Maria let out as she fumbled with her shoes, "You better wait if you don't want to get hurt!"_

"_You worried about him?" Leon asked as he finished donning his shoes._

"_No. I'm the one who's going to thrash him for not waiting!"_

_Firion chuckled as he leaned against the stony brick wall of his house. He could hear Maria's complains and Leon's answers as both siblings fumbled to the door. Maria quickly rushed out of the house, not bothering to look to her left where Firion was leaning against the house. Leon quickly followed her but stopped as he noticed that Maria placed her hands on her hips._

"_Oh that Firion," Maria said, "He probably ran off again! Why doesn't he ever…?"_

_Taking this opportunity, Firion snuck up behind Maria and gave her a light whack on the back of her head. He giggled as he ran from her. Leon sighed before he laughed at the enraged Maria who chased after Firion. As she pursued the young boy, she picked up a lone stick she found laying on the muddy, dirt ground and swung at him. Firion nimbly dodged the assault as he looked around for something to protect himself with. He found another stick and used it to block Maria's swings._

"_You're gonna get it, Firion!" Maria let out as she swung at the boy._

"_Nu-uh!" Firion replied, "You swing like a girl! You won't be able to hit me!"_

"_I AM a girl. And it doesn't matter if I am or not, I'll be able to take you down!"_

"_Hey! I thought you guys weren't going to play 'Soldier' without me!" Leon let out as he joined in the fight._

"_Your sword is too long!" Firion said as he pointed at Leon's stick._

"_Mine's not a sword, it's a lance so it has to be longer than yours!"_

_Without much of a warning, Leon decided to duel against Firion. Firion had to dodge often as he was now being attacked not just by Maria but by her older brother. Though he could hold his own, Firion wasn't doing too well against the siblings. He often had to dodge one swing while blocking the other with his "sword". Eventually both Leon and Maria overpowered Firion. Firion stumbled on the ground after suffering two hits from Maria and one strong hit from Leon._

"_Ow, ow, ow!" Firion let out, "That's no fair! It's two against one!"_

"_It would be even if you could find someone else to come play with us!" Maria said, "Then you wouldn't be alone."_

"_How am I supposed to do that?"_

"_I don't know…find another kid in town?"_

"_Fine! I'll go look for someone to play with," Firion barked as he got up from the ground. The dirt had stained parts of his tunic and pants, but the child didn't care. He quickly scurried off in search of a playmate. He trotted through parts of town, in hopes to find someone his age. Eventually he ended up in the outskirts of the town as soon as he entered the grassy fields. "I think I gone too far…" he whined as he saw nothing but endless fields of grass and wildflowers. "Mom is going to kill me..."_

_A soft groan caught Firion's attention. Curiosity struck the child as he searched the land for the source of the voice. Lying in a patch of wildflowers was a young boy, who looked younger than Firion. His once white shirt was covered with mud; parts of his blue shorts were torn and barely brushed against his skinned knees. His blond hair was wild and all over the places. The boy slowly sat up and shook his head. "Owie!" he whined as his body registered the pain._

"_Hey, are you okay?" Firion asked the child._

"_N-no…" whimpered the blond, "I fell…from the mountain. I was just trying to play with friends."_

"_You fell from the mountain?" Firion looked away from the blond child as he looked at the mountains before him. "That's a pretty long fall."_

_The blond child tried his best not to cry as he was in pain from his fall. "I don't know where my friend is," he said, "We were on the bridge, but then the wind got strong, and the bridge fell and we both fell."_

"_Your friend fell too?" Firion let out, "Where what does he look like? Where is he?"_

"_I don't know…but I hope she's alright. Today was her birthday…and she wanted to go up the mountain, even though the grown ups told us not to because of the harsh winds and the reactors."_

"_What's a 'reactor'?"_

"_A reactor has Mako in it."_

"_What's 'Mako'?"_

_The child shook his head. "I don't know. The grown ups talked about it. I need to go back to the mountain."_

"_I saw a purple thing in the sky earlier today. I don't think it's safe to go up the mountain."_

"_But I have to go home! I fell through the purple swirl in the sky."_

_Firion blinked. "You came from the sky? Are you an angel? What's your name?"_

_Before the blond child could reply, a dark swirl appeared on the ground. It grew bigger until a giant vortex of darkness stood in front of the two children. A lone figure emerged from the shadows. A tall, robust man wearing silver armor walked over to the children. His long, violet cape danced in the wind as he stood tall. Upon his head was a helmet with twisted horns. In one hand he carried a massive blade that was almost as big as him. The armored man stared down at the blond child. "You shouldn't be here," he said, "You need to go back to your world."_

"_My world?" the blond kid asked, "What's this world?"_

"_None of your concern. It seems the rifts are opening and closing and you just happened to fall into one."_

"_What 'rifts'?" Firion asked._

"_You two are not supposed to meet…at least not yet…it will ruin the time continuum as we know it." The armored man slowly lifted the blond child underneath his arms and carried him away. _

"_Wait!" Firion let out as he rushed over to the armored man and child. He picked a small, red rose from a nearby bush and handed it to the blond child. "Here! This is a present from my world if you're from another. It's my way of say 'welcome and I hope you enjoyed your stay'! I hope you can come back tomorrow so we can play."_

"_You want to play with me?" the child asked as he blinked in confusion._

"_Yeah! We can be friends! Promise you'll come back tomorrow and play!"_

"_I'm…your friend?"_

"_Yep! We'll be great friends, I just know it!"_

_The small, blond child looked at the rose in his hands. A small smile formed on his lips as he looked back at Firion. "Thank you…no one has ever given me a gift before," he replied, "I'll try to bring you something tomorrow!"_

_The armored man remained quiet. He looked down at young Firion before placing his sword on the ground. He gently placed his hand upon his forehead. "I'm sorry, but you can't play with him tomorrow," he said._

"_Why not?" Firion whined._

"_You'll have to wait another day…in the near future…" the armored man chanted a soft spell. Tiny blue spheres surrounded and encircled Firion, covering from his head down to his toes. The boy started to feel tired. His body was giving up as his vision blurred. He closed his eyes as he fell into a deep sleep._

_When Firion awoke, he was no longer outside, but inside of his house, on his bed. He quickly looked outside the window in hopes to see the purple swirl again, but the sky was normal that evening and would continue for days and days._

"It's strange…" Firion said indirectly to the wild rose in his hand, "I don't know why I remembered that event. Everyone said that what I saw that day was a dream. I believe it may have been a dream…until now. Yet, I wonder…how come Cloud reminds me so much of that boy from my 'dream'?"


	3. Chapter 3

_Hi, I'm back and with a new chapter! Enjoy!_

**The Scent of Roses**

**  
Chapter III**

Cecil yawned softly as he looked over the edge of the crystallized island. The lack of sleep was getting to the Paladin. _Maybe I should ask Firion if it's possible to change the watch arrangements, _he thought, _the fight today took a lot out of me. _He shook his head lightly as he kept his eyes open. Fighting sleep was hard enough for him to do at the moment. He closed his eyes slightly for a brief moment before opening them slowly. The floating islands were was empty as the night sky above them. Cecil closed his eyes again, once again, trying to fend off sleep. When he opened them again, a black blur stood off in distant island.

He quickly shot his eyes open, but saw no black blur. _Are my eyes deceiving me? _He thought, _or could that have been…? _The young man looked over at Firion as he was situated in his position. The rebel was too busy looking off in the opposite direction to notice Cecil donning his Dark Knight armor and quietly leaving his position. When Firion decide to check up on Cecil, he finally noticed that his companion had left the camp.

Jumping upon platform to platform, Cecil followed a strange dark energy emitting from the other side of the island. _Whatever it is, it's powerful, _he thought, _I haven't felt an aura like this since…_

Once Cecil reached the top of the crystal island, his eyes open widely as he saw the dark figure before him. Standing by himself was a man clad in golden embroiled dark armor. His long, shadowy cape was draped over the armored man's broad shoulders. His face was covered in a horned helmet. He was a sight to behold. The man's dark aura radiated fiercely. "Brother," Cecil said, "…Golbez…"

"So you noticed that I was here," responded the dark armored man, "I'd figured as much that you eventually would sense me."

"What happened? What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

"There is much to discuss," Golbez said, "However; I have been keeping a watch on you. Notice how today you encountered Manikins?"

"Yes, there were only two."

"There were twenty-three of them before you arrived here. I managed to relieve you of most of them. Sadly those two slipped from my vision and before I could find them, you and the rest of your companions arrived here."

"So that's why there weren't as many…" Cecil said, "Brother, now that I know you're safe, please come and join us. We're looking for more survivors and I think with your strength we would travel more at ease."

Golbez walked slowly towards the edge of the island. He looked over at the horizon and without looking at Cecil, he spoke. "That is why I came to seek you out," he said, "I can not join you. I have reached far into the darkness; I can not survive in the light."

"Brother?"

"I can not explain it to you now…at least not while we're not alone."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Concentrate, Cecil…and tell me what you sense."

Cecil closed his eyes and concentrated. He gasped lightly as he felt two dark powers aside from Golbez. One was a strong power while the other was quite fierce. "What…what powers are these?" Cecil asked, "I never felt such strength."

"I did not come alone," Golbez said, "I unfortunately was followed by two of my comrades who have grudges against two of your friends. One is set on teaching that blond boy a lesson while the other…is out for your new companion."

"You mean Tidus and Cloud?"

"I'm surprised that you didn't feel his power…after all, he's been after the one you call Cloud for a while. I suppose he's rather good at suppressing his power."

"Brother…tell me…who are these people that you're with?"

Golbez sighed. "As I told you, I can not tell you at the moment…not while they're around. However, I did come with a proposition for you in order to keep you safe from their wrath. The gods are fighting amongst each other…and we are caught in this war. We are mere pawns for them and I have chosen on who I fight for. You, on the other hand, haven't affiliated yourself with either god. As my brother, I ask of you to join Chaos' side."

Cecil cocked his head. "Chaos' side? What are you talking about? A war amongst the gods?"

"Will you join me then?"

"I would like nothing more than to fight alongside you, Brother, but tell me…who is Chaos?"

"Chaos is the god of discord…and will soon win this war against Cosmos' the goddess of harmony. To avoid conflict, I ask for you to join. You, out of your companions, have embraced the darkness before. You carry both light and dark so you know about what powers and burdens we carry on our shoulders. I doubt your companions can comprehend the situation, nor would they feel at ease."

"Brother…I…I can't just abandon my friends. I do not wish to fight them…but nor you. Please, I ask you to drop this affiliation with this god and join us instead."

"It is far more complicated than that, Cecil. Far more complicated and unfortunately if you're not with me…" Golbez placed his hands together. He concentrated dark energy into his hands. Golbez grunted as he lifted his hands up in the air. The ground underneath Cecil shook violently. Four chunks from the ground floated in the air and surrounded Golbez. "You're against me!" Golbez unleashed the stones at Cecil. Cecil managed to dodge three of the rocks, but was crushed by the fourth one.

Cecil grunted as he fell to the ground. He looked up at Golbez. "Brother, stop!" he called out, "I do not wish to fight you!"

"Take up your arms, Cecil," Golbez said, "It is by the will of the gods that we must fight."

"I refuse! Gods or not, you're my brother and I have no desire to squabble."

Golbez sighed. He concentrated once more as he gathered his dark powers. "I will NOT ask you again; pick up your arms, Cecil!"

"No!"

A dark sphere of energy emitted from his hands. He hesitated, not wanting to hurt Cecil. The sphere broken as a stray arrow pierced through it. Golbez lost concentration as he looked for the source of the arrow. Cecil turned his head and saw Firion standing on a higher platform with bow in hand.

"Firion!" Cecil let out.

Firion twirled his bow and slung it on his arm. He took out his sword and jumped in front of Golbez. He pointed the sword at Golbez in a threatening manner. "Sorry, but I can't let you take out a dear friend of mine," he said.

"Firion, please do not fight him!" Cecil let out, "He's my brother."

"Your brother?" Firion let out, "Then why was he attacking you?"

Cecil remained quiet. He didn't have a good enough answer to tell the rebel.

"It doesn't matter," Firion replied, "You were just sitting there, not wanting to fight and he didn't stop. Brother or not, I can't let him kill you. This may not be my battle, but I won't let you take this abuse."

"Are you sure that is wise, dear youth?" Golbez asked, "After all, you left the camp and your two other companions are left defenselessly. Were you not aware of the dark presences that are around you?"

"What?"

"Firion, two people that want dispose of Tidus and Cloud are around this area! They could be in danger!" Cecil let out, "You shouldn't have left them."

"I wasn't going to leave you either!" Firion let out, "Now come on! We're both going."

"But…"

Without another word, Firion took a hold of Cecil's hand and dragged him away from Golbez. Golbez grunted as he charged up another spell. A dark green aura emitted from his hands. He took aim at Cecil and shot at his younger brother with the dark green aura. From the corner of Firion's eye, the rebel could see the upcoming aura sphere. Using a bit of his strength, he pushed Cecil off from the crystallized island.

The Dark Knight plummeted towards the ground. He quickly maneuvered in the air and landed on his feet. He looked up to see Firion falling off, though didn't seem to be moving much. Cecil dashed up the wall and caught Firion before he fell on the ground. Firion groaned softly.

"Firion! Are you alright?" Cecil asked as he held onto his companion.

"I…I'm fine," coughed Firion, "Let's go check up on Tidus and Cloud."

"Can you walk?"

"Yeah…I was just hit with magic, that's all. I'll live."

Cecil shook his head as he helped Firion up from the ground. He looked up at the crystallized island to see Golbez watching over them. Cecil sighed as he let Firion lean on him and scurried away from Golbez. Not wanting to pursue them or to harm them any further, the warlock left the Crystal World.

Back at the camp, not a single soul stirred in their sleep. A dark silhouette landed softly on the crystal surface of the island. His slender, black boots lightly treaded as they made their way to one of the tents. The figure's long, silver hair brushed against his pale face. His bright, green cat like eyes shimmered as a smirk pursed his lips. In his hand, he held a rather long, katana.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," spoke a gruff voice.

The silver haired man looked over at his rough, scruffy companion. The raven haired man sunk the blade of his dark weapon on the ground. His lack of shirt exposed his tan, muscular tattooed body. Hung around his waist was a pair of black pants. He brushed a bit of his roguish, black hair out of the way. If it weren't for the red headband, his wild mane would have covered his face. "My brat so happens to be here," he added in, "And if I'm not fighting him, you're not fighting that guy. Reason why I'm not waking that brat of mine is because I was told not to invoke him until the time is right."

The silver haired man scoffed, "Since when do you do everything you're told?" he asked in an emotionless voice.

"Hey, hey! No one orders the great Jecht around!" barked the older man, "I don't want you to take down the boy! The boy's mine and mine alone. We had that agreement."

"So we have…" the man replied, "I have no desire to fight your son…he is of no interest to me."

"Now, I suggest you back off," Jecht said, "You really don't want to mess with me."

The man cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? So you see yourself as superior to me? Care to test that out?"

Jecht scoffed, "Heh…so like you, Sephiroth…no sense of humor whatsoever. I suggest you wait until you have your guy all alone. The other two are coming back…I can sense them."

"Do you fear them?" Sephiroth asked.

"Nah…they're just a bunch of kids, nothing more. Except we won't hear the end of it from Golbez…or that Emperor for that matter. I don't want to hear his nagging…he could turn out to be even prissier than Kuja and more annoying than Kefka."

"I see…" Sephiroth said, "Perhaps another time then." Without another word, Sephiroth disappeared from the camp, leaving Jecht behind. Jecht looked over at the tent where Tidus was sleeping before leaving as well.

Cecil and Firion arrived at the camp. Firion slowly slipped off from Cecil and took a couple of footsteps. Cecil frowned as he noticed how weakened Firion looked. _Whatever magic my brother used on him, it weakened him so much, _he thought, _in fact, he looks rather pale. _Before tending to Firion, Cecil took the liberty to check if Tidus was alright. He opened the flap to their tent to see a peaceful sleeping athlete. In Tidus' arms, he was holding onto Stiltzkin, as if the Moogle was a teddy bear. Cecil smiled at the thought. As Firion arrived by his and Cloud's tent, he placed a shaking hand on the flap. As he was about to open it, Firion coughed. The coughs were soft but eventually grew loud and violent. He dropped the flap as he covered his mouth and tried to stop the coughing.

Cecil quickly rushed over to Firion and held onto him. "Firion!" he let out, "What's wrong?"

"I…cough…can't…" Firion could not even finish his sentence. He felt his body shiver and shake as it grew cold for him. His vision blurred, his heart raced, his palms sweated slightly. His coughing stopped as he lost consciousness and fell to the ground.

"Firion!" Cecil shouted as he shook the taller man. "Firion? Firion! Wake up!"

Cecil's cries stirred and awaken both Cloud and Tidus. The two blonds went to Cecil's aid as they tried to awaken Firion. It seemed like the rebel was unresponsive to anything they could dish out. They transferred Firion over to his tent. They relieved him from his armor, cape, and weapons before laying him on the sleeping bag. Cloud checked his vitals to see if he was still alive. Much to their relief, Firion's pulse and breathing seemed normal at the moment.

"He…he'll be alright…right?" Tidus asked.

"I don't know…" Cecil responded, "The magic he was hit with…I have no idea what it was. It could have been anything, but we can not give up on Firion. We must do all we can in order to save him."

Cloud had been standing over the unconscious Firion. Cecil had taken the liberty to untie his hair, allowing Firion's wild, gray mane to gracefully flow all over the place. Cloud couldn't help but notice that the rebel, much like Cecil, had beads in his hair; however unlike Cecil's jewels, these were plain, blue, red, and yellow beads. He looked quite peaceful. His once healthy tan skin was now a ghastly pale. Out of curiosity, Cloud moved his hand towards Firion's face. He checked his forehead to see if he had a fever, instead he noticed that he was cold.

Just the way he laid there reminded Cloud of another time in another place. Instead of being in a floating island, he was in a lake. He held onto a frail girl's body. Her hair was relieved of her ribbon in which she always wore in a tight braid. Her skin was cold as ice. No matter how much he spoke to her, she would not awaken. Cloud's eyes burned as he snapped back into reality. _That memory…_he thought, _I…I lost someone dear to me…I can't let that happen again. I have to try to save…everyone._

"Esuna…" Cloud said.

"Huh? You say something?" Tidus asked.

"Esuna," Cloud left Firion's side as he crawled out from the tent. "Cecil, you said your brother used some unknown magic on him, right?"

"Yes," Cecil replied.

"It could be just a status inducing spell. If it's much like Stun, Stop, Poison, and others, we could be able to clear up anything he has. Unless Stiltzkin has some sort of medicine for him."

"Kupo," Stiltzkin said, "I'm afraid the only medicines I have are just potions. I used to have other medicines such as antidotes, but I lost most of them. Until I can get into communications with Mognet, I'm short on supplies. I'm sorry, kupo…"

"It's not your fault," Cloud said, "The best thing we can do…is to take him to a White Mage. Sadly, I don't know anyone who can cure him."

"Oh ho, ho, ho!" giggled a cocky feminine voice, "Are you really that doubtful?"

Cecil, Tidus, and Cloud were astonished to meet with a petite, blond, elf like creature. She approached the three men, her hips swayed, causing her green stripped coat to waver. Her two ponytails bounced as she trotted in a cocky manner. The Tarutaru stopped as she took the time to examine the three men. She chuckled at their sight. "My, my…what shabby looking boys," she giggled, "with such ridiculous looking toys. I suppose beggars can't be choosers…even though you're all just a bunch of losers."

"What the?" Tidus let out, "Why you little…!"

The Tarutaru smirked as she easily swayed her hand. Using very little force, she froze Tidus using her Stop magic. "Manners are so hard to find these days," She said, "You need to break from your ways. You dare hurt innocent me? I was being nice, as nice as I can be. But of course you do not wish for my aid, I best be on my way." With that, the Tarutaru turned to walk way. "Oh, though one more thing…" she said, "Let your ears ring…though the magic shall fade on that stupid lout, the magic on the ill one will not."

"Wait!" Cecil said, "I apologize for Tidus' outburst…we mean no disrespect, ma'am."

The Tarutaru smirked as she turned around. "Oh? Care to tell me more?"

"We are on wit's end," Cecil continued, "Our dear companion is greatly ill and we have no white magic or medicines that can cure his ailments. If you know a way to relieve him from his illness, we will appreciate it greatly."

"Perhaps I know…perhaps not," the Tarutaru said, "Depends on how much you'd give to let your friend live."

Cecil frowned as he searched his pockets. "I don't have much Gil…only a couple thousand."

Cloud sighed as he searched through his inventory. "Don't look at me," he said, "I don't have anything of value on me."

"What of the stupid one?" the Tarutaru asked as she pointed at Tidus.

"The only thing he has is just a few hundred," Cecil said.

"Hmph! This amount won't do at all; it's an insult to my services! I do not run a charity, so let me speak with clarity…bring me fifty thousand Gil and I will save your friend from an ill will."

"Fifty thousand?!" Cecil let out, "I am not too sure we could manage to get that amount."

The Tarutaru flipped her hair at Cecil. "Then I shall take my leave of you. You should pray in hopes on what to do."

"Listen," Cloud said, "Isn't there another way we could pay you?"

"You suggest something?"

"Listen…we don't know where we are. We've been walking around aimlessly trying to find answers and survivors. Only recently did one of our friends got attacked by an opposing force. We've been encountering those Manikins and I'm sure more are to come. All we ask is for a bit of sympathy. We may not have much, but we can lend you…our services."

"OH?" The Tarutaru said as her ears perked up, "You wish to be my servant. You sure you won't repent?"

"I…I won't," Cloud said, "I'll gladly be your mercenary if it means that you'll help Firion."

"Cloud, are you certain of that?" Cecil asked, "Perhaps I should do it…it was by my own fault that Firion fell to such a fate."

"You just take care of him, alright? I might as well do this…he's saved my life already, I have to pay him back."

The Tarutaru giggled, "My, aren't you being a chivalrous one? Well, with this all said and done, you will work under me. I have a task for you that is NOT so easy."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Patience is a virtue, you incompetent fool," she said, "When the time is right I shall ask for your aid, you tool. Now, as promised I shall help your ill friend but only to an extent."

"What do you mean?" asked the Paladin.

The Tarutaru trotted over to Firion's tent. She peered inside and took a good look at the fallen rebel. She examined his features before she shook her head. "Oh my," she said, "this is unfortunate, seems the spell he's under is quite strong. A toxin of some sort that will keep him out for long. Of course with a good Esuna all can be said and done." She placed her hands in front of Firion as if concentrating on magic. She stopped as she looked over at the worried duo. "Sadly, MP I have none."

"You're all out?" Cecil asked.

"It is quite a task when I do so much, however all is not lost I do have a plan b. It's quite simple even for you three. You must head to the north, there you shall find the goddess, Cosmos who is gentle and kind. Her magic…knows no bounds. She will save your friend and he'll be safe and sound."

"The goddess…Cosmos?" Cecil asked. _Brother mentioned her, _he thought, _but he's against her. Should I still…seek her out?_

At that moment, Tidus broke from his Stop spell. He shook slightly as his body came back to life. "H-hey!" he let out, "That wasn't fair!"

"Life is never fair, but I don't care," the Tarutaru retorted, "For I, Shantotto, professor of the magic arts has no need for the faint of heart. Now do yourself a favor, you bafoon and take your friend to see Cosmos soon."

"Thank you…we will make the best of this," Cecil said.

A strange growl emerged from below the floating crystal island. Shantotto giggled at the sound of it. "You best be nimble you best be quick, here they came in a minute's tick." With one last giggle, Shantotto disappeared, leaving three swordsmen on the island. Curious, Tidus looked over the edge of the floating island. Right blow the group and climbing furiously at the crystal wall was a horde of ten fifteen Manikins. All of them with glowing, blood thirsty eyes.

Tidus staggered as he moved away from the edge. "Crap! Here they come!" he shouted.

"How many?" Cecil asked.

"Too many for us three and one sick Firion to handle in this condition."

Cloud growled as he tried to come up with a plan. They were running out of time and facing them on where they stood could risk Firion's own life as well as Stiltzkin's. _We have to get Firion out of here before we can confront them, _he thought. "Tidus…Cecil," Cloud said in a rather eerily calm voice, "I want you two to take care of those Manikins."

"Only us two?" Cecil asked.

"I'm going to get Firion and Stiltzkin out of here," Cloud continued, "We'll risk both their lives if we take them head on here."

"I see," Cecil responded as he gathered dark energy around him. His Dark Knight armor enveloped his body. "Tidus and I will distract them while you run."

Cloud walked over to Firion's tent. He lifted the rebel in a sitting position and let him rest on his back. He wrapped Firion's arms around his neck and hoisted him on his back. Firion's head gently fell on Cloud's left shoulder. His flowing hair covered his face. Cloud grabbed Firion's legs in order to support him on his back.

"Take care of Rosebud for us," Tidus commented.

"If I don't manage to find either of you in two hours, I'll be coming back here," Cloud said.

"Don't," Cecil said, "You can not leave Firion in this condition. Seek out Cosmos as that woman told us. Only she can save him."

"Good luck…" Cloud replied.

"Farewell and safe journey," Cecil said as he twirled his dark lance in his hands.

"We'll catch up soon!" Tidus chuckled as he waited for the Manikins to arrive.

Cloud dashed away from the camp. He had to keep a steady pace in order for Stiltzkin to catch up and for Firion to remain on his back. The sounds of screeching echoed from behind Cloud. Though he didn't bother to look back, he worried about his two other companions. _Cecil…Tidus…_he thought, _you two better be safe._

Tidus nimbly dodged a powerful Flare that came from an Imitation Despot. The red and golden clone grunted slightly as it left several mines floating around Tidus. Tidus looked at the mines surrounding him. Gathering his aura, he uses it to unleash a fury of energy beams at the mines. The Energy Rain dispersed enough mines for the blond to jump out. He quickly cartwheels over to the Imitation Despot. Using the momentum from his flips, Tidus delivered a powerful swing to the clone.

The Despot was smashed against the rocky wall. It staggered lightly as it tried to regain its composure. Before Tidus could deliver a finishing blow, the athlete was bombarded with eight slashes from an aqua green clone. A loud growl emitted from the Imaginary Champion. It cocked its head at Tidus before it rushed at him with Scintilla. Tidus dodged the first slashes. The blade barely missed his foot as the Champion continued with its assault. Tidus groaned as he held onto his arm. Parts of his skin and clothing were slashed. Blood dripped from his open wounds as he eyed the clone in front of him. The palms of his hands were sweaty as his heart raced.

The adrenaline rush sent a spark through the blonde's body. The Imaginary Champion took no time to close in the space between itself and Tidus. Once within range, the aqua green clone charged a full frontal assault. Tidus tried his best to dodge slash after slash. Each time the athlete would jump back, it would seem that the blade would get closer to him. The blade flew by, missing Tidus' ear by mere inches. Tidus tried to take another step back but felt his feet stuck to the ground. A bright light glowed beneath him. His entire body stiffened as he was trapped within a magic seal. The blond could only turn his head to look over at the Imaginary Despot who had recovered from his recent attack from Tidus. The ghastly yellow clone didn't seem too happy.

Elsewhere, Cecil had been busy with three Manikins of his own. A dirty green figure emerged from the cliff. Unlike the other Manikins Cecil has encountered, this one seemed much shorter and youthful looking, as if it were a child of some sort. The green clone, the Counterfeit Youth hissed as it dashed madly towards the Dark Knight. It swung it blade with inhuman speed. Cecil jumped back as he saw light flashes of where the blade moved. The vision was almost hypnotizing. Taking his dark lance, the knight parried the assault. Upon impact with the furry of swings, both Cecil and the Counterfeit Youth staggered as their blades connected. The Youth recovered immediately, taking advantage of Cecil's status. The Youth pointed its dark sword towards Cecil. Gathering magic from its entire being, the Manikin unleashed a powerful flare.

Cecil grunted as his entire body burned up from the powerful magic wave. He was knocked back away from the flare by a powerful wave of Holy magic. Landing gracefully on its feet, a light sea green Manikin was the source of the Holy magic. The Fallacious Wanderer, the light sea green Manikin, took a few steps forward before squatting down. Bringing its arms up, the Wanderer unleashed strong Flood attacks. Cecil barely managed to dodge the strong water attacks as they broke through the ground. White orbs flew inches away from Cecil's body, missing him completely. Standing next to the Dark Knight was the third Manikin: a dark purple, flowing Capricious Reaper.

The Reaper chuckled darkly as it created a small spark within its hand. It threw the spark towards Cecil before it expanded into a powerful Seraphic Star blast. Cecil jumped away; the blast from the Seraphic Star pushed him slightly back, almost making the knight lose his balance. Twirling his dark lance in his hand he glared at the three Manikins before him. He sighed as he rushed over to the Reaper. Pulling back his arm, he threw his lance straight into the heart of the Manikin. The lance pierced through the Manikin's body, pinning it against the wall. Gathering dark aura from his hands, he created a dark aura ball in which he slammed down at the Counterfeit Youth, causing the Manikin to be pulled down to the ground. The Fallacious Wanderer generated two blades from its hands as it approached Cecil. It hissed as it twirled in the air, creating a mini vortex. Cecil jumped back as he felt himself being sucked into the whirlwind.

Cecil placed his armored hand upon the hilt of his sword that was situated on his back and pulled out it. He twirled the blade in his hand as he conjured up dark aura from his body onto the blade. He slammed the sword down to the ground unleashed dark flames towards the Manikin. The dark fire engulfed the Manikin, burning it alive. A light yell caught Cecil's attention. The Dark Knight looked for the source. Slammed against the wall, Tidus was now prey to an Imitation Despot and an Imaginary Champion. Tidus' body was trapped within a light seal. Unable to move, the athlete could only watch in horror as both the Manikins raised their weapons, about to strike him down.

"Beneath the light!" Cecil shouted as he dashed madly towards the Manikins. As he jumped into the air, his Dark Knight Armor came off, revealing the lilac and snowy white Paladin armor. Cecil swung his sword, knocking over the Imaginary Champion. The assault was enough to distract the Despot, breaking his hold on Tidus.

Tidus shook lightly as he got control of his body once more. He smirked as he detached his personal Blitzball from the sling he wore around his waist and aimed at the Despot. Gathering all of his strength, Tidus threw his hip into one powerful kick. The Blitzball zoomed through the air with incredible speed. It connected right on the Despot's face. The Manikins growled before shattering into millions of pieces right before Cecil and Tidus.

"Heh…" Tidus said, "We did it."

"That was a little too close but…"

With one exasperation; Tidus fell to the ground, losing conscious. Cecil quickly ran to his side and held him gently. "Tidus?" Cecil asked, "Tidus…" he smiled softly at the younger man in his arms. "You did well. Let's go find Cloud and Firion." Cecil gently lifted Tidus onto his back and carried him off towards the direction he had last seen Firion and Cloud. As Cecil walked through the dark Crystal World, he closed his eyes for a moment. He hummed a gentle tune he had learned long ago. Though unconscious, the tune reached Tidus' ears. The athlete relaxed on Cecil's back as he continued to listen to the melody.

Cloud panted softly as he continued to carry Firion on his back. He often would look back to see if the weapon master's condition had improved. Sadly, Firion was still paled and unconscious. Stiltzkin would look over at the mercenary. Though their short time together was enough for Stiltzkin to get an idea of Cloud's emotions. The mercenary was not one to show much more than a stoic look on his face. While others were busy laughing, he remained quiet and pensive as if he didn't care. At the moment, a look of worry was now on Cloud's face. Though one could not tell, Stiltzkin's sharp intuition was enough to catch those quick glimpses of worry.

_This feels so familiar, _Cloud thought as he looked down on Firion's hand. _Though I was not the one carrying, but rather the one that was being carried. Zack…_

A loud hiss caught both Cloud and Stiltzkin's attention. The hiss was followed by a growl which echoed through the canyon area. "We best get moving," Cloud said. Manikins: climbing from the abysmal ground and the high cliffs were closing in on trio. "Now!" Cloud rushed as fast as he could while he carried Firion. He stopped back as he heard soft whimpering behind him.

Stiltzkin was having trouble carrying his large backpack while keeping up with Cloud. Close to Stiltzkin were several bloodthirsty Manikins. "Stiltzkin!" Cloud yelled, "Let go of the backpack!"

"I can't, kupo," Stiltzkin responded, "All the supplies…"

"Never mind them! Your life's more important, now come on!"

Reluctantly, Stiltzkin slipped out of his backpack and flew over to Cloud, barely missing lance from the Delusion Knight Manikin. Stiltzkin hovered over to Cloud and landed gently on his head. He held onto the blond, spiky locks as Cloud dashed madly from the Manikins. He grunted as his back was starting to give out. The growls and hisses grew louder with each second passing. Stiltzkin looked back to see a very frightening blue False Stalwart Manikin. Stiltzkin squeaked as his grip on Cloud's head tightened, signally to the mercenary that they were catching up.

_This is pointless, _Cloud thought, _this is a lost cause. I obviously can't outrun them and I have two people who can't fend for themselves on my shoulders. One without a spine would cut all loose ends, but that is not an option for me. _Cloud hissed between his gritted teeth as he stopped and turned around. He gently placed Firion against a rock with Stiltzkin right beside him. The confused moogle looked up at Cloud as he titled his head.

"Kupo? What are you doing?" Stiltzkin asked.

"Stiltzkin…" Cloud said, "If one of these creatures comes near Firion, I need you to give me a shout." Cloud took up his Buster Sword as he glared at the group of upcoming Manikins.

"Kupo! Don't do it, Cloud! You'll get hurt!"

"I know…" Cloud stared down at the bloodthirsty Manikins. _Not that I have much choice, _he thought, _actually looking at these things…is rather frightening. I would have to ask myself…'why am I doin'g this?' _His eyes shifted towards the unconscious Firion as he looked so lifeless leaning against the rock. _I guess because…I let one friend down…I can't let that happen again._

Dashing at an inhuman speed, Cloud furiously attacked the Manikins. His blade pushed and cut through their sickly colored bodies. The loud hisses and screams echoed through Cloud's ears as he hacked away at them, one by one. Through his mad rush, the blond was attacked on all sides. Blades slashed clear across his light skin as spears barely nudged through his skin. His body weakens as spell after spell burned through his body. His eyes would shift over at the frightened Stiltzkin and unconscious Firion. Though in spirit he wanted to continue fighting his body was giving out.

With a tired sigh, Cloud fell to the ground as several Manikins gathered around him. He tried to crawl away from them, but couldn't find the strength to move anymore. His eyes were glued over to his companions. Darkness was enveloping his vision as he felt so numb.

"Burn it up!" shouted a youthful male voice.

"Here!" came a second male voice.

_Who…who is that? _Thought Cloud as he tried to stay conscious. As his vision blurred, two faint figures parted the sea of Manikins. He couldn't tell who they were, nor could he stay awake to find out. He closed his eyes as he fell into the abyss.

"…is he dead?" spoke the first male voice.

"Let's poke him and find out," said the second male voice.

Cloud's body shook lightly. A tender poke on his cheek brushed lightly against his skin. The blond didn't seem to respond to it which resulted in a harder poke. The next poke was hard enough to disrupt the blond from his slumber. Cloud's eyes open widely as he looked at the source of his bother. Kneeling next to him were two young man. One was a spunky looking brunette with sparkling chestnut brown eye. His light blue top complimented his light colored cape, gray and blue pants, and his variety of sashes that hung around his waist. A golden shoulder pad was situated gently on his shoulder and extended out, like a wing.

The next man was a rather short, mischievous looking blond with matching impish blue eyes. A blue ribbon tangled on his tight, sleeveless white shirt. A short, dirty blue vest clung onto his chest, exposing his slightly toned arms. A raggedy brown belt held his puffy, dirty blue pants together. He and the brunette were taken back when Cloud awakened.

"Looks like he's alive!" said the brunette.

"Good thing too," responded the blond, "I don't think the Moogle and the pretty boy over there would be too happy to find out that their friend's dead."

"Ugh…Fi…Firion?" Cloud let out.

"Firion?" spat the blond, "Nah…name's Zidane and this here is Bartz."

"Hello!" Bartz, the brunette, chirped as he waved at Cloud.

"What…what happened?" Cloud asked as he sat right up.

"You were bombarded by several of those Manikins," Zidane, the blond, said, "but don't worry, Bartz and I came to your rescue."

Cloud tilted his head slightly as he looked at the duo. "How did you two come to our rescue?"

"Oh, Cosmos told us," Bartz said.

"Cosmos?"

"Yes, Cloud…" spoke a soft, feminine voice.

Cloud looked behind him. Bright lights surrounded the blond as his vision completely came to. He had noticed that he was no longer in the Crystal World, but rather in a bright, yet desolate area. Beneath him, the ground was covered in an inch of water, yet as he had laid there, he did not feel cold or wet from the water. In the middle of the watery sanctuary was a small bench which was situated on a levitated platform. Stiltzkin was situated on the bench. He hovered over the unconscious Firion who laid peacefully on it. Just the mere sight of Firion gave chills to Cloud's spine. He looked so dead to him. The watery environment, the glow, his flowing long hair, and lifeless fingers reminded him of when he was at the City of the Ancients. He recalled the cold body he held dear as he lowered it into the water.

"Cloud, are you alright?" spoke the voice once more.

Cloud shook his head as his attention shifted over to the blond woman standing behind Firion. Her long, blond hair flowed down past her waist. As she took steps towards Cloud, her white dress gallantly flowed, as if she were on the clouds. "You seemed rather shocked," said the woman, "I am Cosmos…goddess of harmony."

"I…I came here because some woman named Shantotto told me that you would be able to cure him," Cloud responded.

Cosmos looked over at Firion. She placed a soft, delicate hand on his forehead and ran her fingers through his hair. "The spell that was cast onto him is a strong toxic spell," she said, "It paralyzes the body, giving him a dead like state. The paralytic phase will pass, but he can not wake up unless this spell is cured. I will use my magic to clear him of this spell…but he will be heavily weakened by the poison. I can heal him, but to speed up his healing process he shall need medicine and food."

"I wish I could help, Kupo," Stiltzkin whined, "but I lost all my merchandise."

Cloud looked off at the distance. "Think that your backpack is still intact, Stiltzkin?"

"I…I wouldn't know, but its dangerous."

"I'll go and look for it."

"Eh, but we just brought you here to the sanctuary," Zidane said, "And now you're gonna run off and get yourself killed?"

"I have no choice. Stiltzkin actually had several of my belongings in there. His merchandise was essential to traveling. Plus I have to search for Cecil and Tidus. I'm assuming you two didn't find anyone else out in that strange crystal place."

"Nope, just you three," Bartz said.

"Then…I'm going." _It's strange, but I really am doing something reckless, _Cloud thought, _normally I wouldn't want to risk my life trying to get materialistic items and go after two grown men who can defend themselves…but something in the back of my mind is telling me to help them. It's stupid…but I can't shake that off._


	4. Chapter 4

_Hi, I'm back and with a new chapter! Enjoy! Sorry for the loooooooooong hiatus, I have kept busy with work and a few other things. Anyway, I'm glad for all the support I had. Thank you so much and I hope you guys enjoy the next chapter._

**The Scent of Roses**

**Chapter IV**

Cecil panted softly. The young Paladin dashed madly through the Crystal World, avoiding any Manikins he could have found along the way. He was careful not to let Tidus slip from his grasp. Along the way, he found a small cave. Tired and not wanting to encounter anymore Manikins, Cecil arrived at the cave. He slipped inside, hoping nothing was there. He gently placed Tidus against the wall. Tidus was still unconscious, though breathing lightly. Cecil panted softly as he smiled at his fallen comrade.

"I'm glad you're still alright," he said softly, "For a minute there, I thought my efforts were in vain." Cecil took the time to examine Tidus' wounds. He noticed a few cuts and bruises on the blond's forehead, cheek, arms, and legs. Using his cape, Cecil cleaned the wounds. His slender fingers pulled back rogue blond locks from Tidus' frame. "Don't worry, Tidus…" Cecil said, "I'll be sure to take you to safety. I just hope you wake up before anymore of those creatures find us." Unhooking his cape, the Lunarian draped it around Tidus.

Cecil left the unconscious Tidus to take a gander outside. Upon exiting the cave, a harsh wind brushed against Cecil's pale skin. His shoulder length hair blocked his eyesight. He pulled most of his hair back; trying to regain his vision. As far as Cecil could he, there was nothing but floating islands and abysmal earth. The darken sky showed no stars in the sky. He frowned as he felt such an empty feeling rise up to his chest. "Firion…" he whispered softly, "please be alright. It was my fault this happened to you. Still…" Cecil looked up at the sky. _Brother…what are you up to?_ He thought.

Cecil wished to learn more about his brother's motives. He wondered who exactly were Cosmos and Chaos. The paladin shook his head as he thought; _it is quite odd that somehow these strange names sound familiar to me before Firion mentioned them. It feels like I've heard them before yet I can not remember. War? What kind of war would two opposing gods have?_ Cecil's thoughts were interrupted as he heard a soft moan from behind him. He turned around to see Tidus slowly coming to. Cecil sighed as he made his way towards his companion. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Ugh…" Tidus grunted as he held onto his head for support, "Feels like a bad hangover. Where are we?"

"I am not quite sure," Cecil replied, "Shortly after we defeated the Manikins, you gave out. I carried you here to avoid any more unexpected conflict."

"Oh, damn…um, well did Cloud make it safely with Stiltzkin and Rosebud?"

Cecil frowned. "I have no means to communicate with them," he said, "I can only hope that Cloud has made it safely and that Firion is recuperating. Even though we should worry for our friends, our main concern is our survival. We must find a way to sanctuary."

"Alright…so which way do we go to find this Cosmos then?" Tidus asked.

"We should follow that mage's directions. If we keep going down in this direction, we might at least get out of this crystallized world. Hopefully from there, we might be in a safer area."

"Alright! Then let's go!" Tidus walked out of the cave.

"W-wait!" Cecil let out, "Are you sure you should be walking? I mean you overexerted yourself. I don't want that to happen again. Perhaps you should rest a bit more."

Tidus shook his head. "I'm fine, Cecil! I'd rather that we continue and find the others than stay in that cave and be ambushed by those things again. So come on, buddy!"

Cecil nodded and followed the younger man as they walked through the Crystal World. Unpleasant eyes were glued to the duo as they followed in the shadows. A group of Manikins, hungry for blood, silently followed Cecil and Tidus. Their crystallized hands gripped their weapons tightly as they were mad for carnage. Their quest, however, was stopped shortly as two dark shadows easily destroyed them with magic and sword. Jecht smirked as he destroyed the last Manikin with his blade. He enjoyed a good fight, but was not satisfied with the weaker Manikins he and Golbez encountered.

"They just don't make these things like they used to," Jecht said, "This wasn't much fun at all."

Golbez hovered closed to Jecht as he saw his companion destroy the last crystallized being. Though his face was hidden behind his shadowy helmet, Jecht had the feeling that the taller man was frowning. Jecht shrugged, signaling Golbez to explain himself. "I did not want to say anything to upset you," Golbez commented, "However, this Manikin hunting that you're doing is only a ruse to keep your son safe, is it not?"

Jecht scrunched up his nose as he spat, "The Great Jecht worried about his own brat? Nah! Boy needs to learn how to grow up and be a man. He's doing a horrible job at killing these things so I got bored and decided do away with these things myself!"

"Hmm, I can see through you that you are just as worried about him as I am about my brother."

"What? Don't compare my brat to your brother…and much less compare the Great Jecht to you. The Great Jecht doesn't need to hide behind armor…no matter how cool looking it is. Also, the Great Jecht don't take crap from nobody! The Great Jecht is his own boss."

"Oh?" Golbez replied, "If that is correct, then why side yourself with the Emperor? You have been working under him."

"Hey, hey!" Jecht snarled, "I don't work under anyone! I'm doing the guy a favor just because I feel generous…and bored."

"Perhaps so…" Golbez floated towards the edge of the floating island, "However, I don't suppose the 'Great Jecht' would be doing this in order to gain something."

Jecht crossed his arms as he looked away. "Pfft! As if I need anything!"

"Are you…ashamed of your goals? Are you ashamed of your own feelings?"

"The Great Jecht ain't ashamed of nothing!" Jecht replied.

"Then why deny your feelings then?" Golbez asked, "You love your son that is why you do not wish for peril to come his way. Why should a father be afraid to show his own flesh and blood how much he cares about him?"

"Eh…" Jecht snorted, "For some reason, you have some sort of gift that makes you read people. It's annoying, so don't use it often. The boy…has gotten stronger. Not as bratty and whiny as he used to be, but he still has a long way to go. As for working for the Emperor…he's the only guy that can help me. Out of all the stupid bastards we work with, he's the only one whom seems to know what he's doing. After all, he did promise to help us get back home…me and the boy that is."

"Are you certain you should trust him?" Golbez crossed his arms as he still looked over the floating island.

"Really, it's hard to trust anyone around here. Besides, he's the only one who seems sane enough to work with. What about you? How come you're not out there with your brother?"

"You really do not remember, do you?" Golbez asked, "What happened before…in the previous war?"

"What previous war? I just got here."

Golbez floated away from the edge of the island. "Perhaps we should save that for another time then," he said.

"What? First you tempted a guy by stating some mumbo jumbo now you're telling him to 'save it for another time'? Hey! I'm not done with you! Quite floating around and come back and answer the Great Jecht!"

Cloud had left the sanctuary soon after he came to and spoke with Cosmos. Along with him, Zidane and Bartz had volunteered to help him find Stiltzkin's backpack which had their supplies, namely to get an elixir or a potion to heal Firion. As the trio was on their journey through the Crystal World, Cloud's mind was filled with many doubts. He was still unsure if he would be able to find Stiltzkin's backpack and much less if it was still intact.

The trio explored the Crystal World, in hopes to find the missing supplies. Taking the opportunity, Cloud had advised his new companions to keep an eye out for Cecil and Tidus, or at least for anyone that was non-crystallized for that matter. Due to his rather short attention span, Zidane got bored with the endless walking. "I never took notice of how far we carried you guys," the boisterous youth let out, "How much further until we find this bag?"

"That I wouldn't know," Cloud replied, "After all, I was unconscious when you did carry me off."

"Yeesh, lighten up," Zidane replied. His tail twitched slightly as he turned his attention to Bartz, "Ya know…we could make this fun."

Upon hearing the word "fun" Bartz cocked his head. "I'm listening," he responded.

"Let's make this a race! First one to find the bag owes the other guy gil!"

"How much gil?"

"Hmm…I'd say about fifty thousand. Seems fair?"

"That's…kinda steep, don't ya think?" Bartz scratched his head, "I mean I barely have twelve thousand."

Zidane smirked as he continued, "Well…if you're too chicken…"

"Fine! But I warned you…I'm rather fast on my feet!"

Zidane chuckled knowing what buttons to push on Bartz to make him go. _At least I won't be so bored now, _he thought, _though I don't have fifty thousand gil with me either. Eh, I'll win this race for sure! This will be the easiest fifty thousand gil. _"Alright then!" Zidane shouted, "On your marks…get set…" Bartz kneeled down. His eyes were glued to the path ahead of him as he visualized himself running. He could feel the wind brushing against his fair skin as his feet would guide him along the way. It was the simple pleasures of life that Bartz enjoyed. He could care less about the wager, as long as he had fun competing.

Without warning, Zidane took off ahead of Bartz. "H-hey!" Bartz let out as he chased after Zidane, "That's not fair!"

"All's fair in love, war, and money, Bartz!" the thief chuckled knowing he had a good distance ahead. However, Bartz managed to close the gap between them as he easily caught up with Zidane. The advantages of long legs were Bartz' trump card while Zidane's short legs were his cruel mistress. "Hey! That's not fair! You got longer legs, ya giant!"

"All's fair in love, war, and money," Bartz imitated Zidane as he took the lead.

Zidane grumbled as he picked up his pace. He wasn't about to lose to Bartz. In their friendly competition, Zidane usually had an upper hand against Bartz, or at least the thief thought he had. Bartz was a fast learner due to him being a Mime. Whatever Zidane knew, Bartz was sure to pick up and add his own twist to it if he wanted to. Zidane shook his head as he had a strange vision. The thief would often have dreams which involved Bartz and a few others he had never seen before. Everything from his dream felt more like a memory to him. Even running alongside Bartz felt familiar to him. It was the first time they had a running competition, but Zidane felt like they had done this before countless of times, not only competing in running but competing in everything; just for the sake of sport.

"Ah ha!" Bartz let out, "I got it!" In his hand, Bartz had what appeared to be a rather large backpack. "This is probably it! I got it!"

"Damn…" Zidane hissed as he reached Bartz, "Fine…you win."

"Heh, looks like I get fifty thousand gil, huh?"

"Yeah, I suppose so…but we gotta find Cloud first and tell him the good news! After all, that's the reason WHY we ran all the way here." Zidane slightly smirked as he changed the subject.

"Oh, yeah!"

"Cloud!" Zidane let out.

"Cloud!" Bartz yelled.

"Cloud! Cloud! Cloud! Cloud! Cloud!" Both Zidane and Bartz called out to their companion, hoping he would hurry to them.

Cloud sighed as he made his way to Zidane and Bartz. The constant yelling from the younger warriors slightly annoyed the mercenary. He had heard them the first time they called out his name; there was no need to continue calling it out, especially when he was in their sight. He walked patiently and calmly, not showing a single once of emotion as he saw the backpack that Bartz had in his hand. "You found it," Cloud said as he grabbed the backpack.

"Yep! All in a day's work!" Bartz giggled, "So whatcha gonna look for?"

"…Elixir," Cloud responded as he searched through the backpack. As his glove hands rummaged through the backpack, he felt several broken bottles. He was careful to watch his fingers for stray shards of glass. His eyes narrowed as it seemed like a good amount of Stiltzkin's supplies had been destroyed by the Manikins. _Come on, _he thought, _there has to be at least ONE bottle that's intact._ Cloud's eyes lit up as he pulled out an elixir bottle. To his surprise, it was unscathed.

"There it is!" Zidane said, "Let's head back to the Sanctuary and give the elixir to Firion."

"Yeah," Cloud replied as he placed the elixir in his pocket. "We should at least take the backpack to Stiltzkin as well. He still might have a use for it." Cloud noticed something hidden off in the horizon. A dark shadow was slowly approaching the group. Cloud grasped the hilt of his Buster Sword as he examined the intruder. His look softened as the intruder was becoming clearer. "Cecil?" Cloud asked as the figure continued to approach him. A low growl emitting from the intruder was enough of a warning for Cloud. Cecil's imitation, the Delusory Knight, rushed over to Cloud. With its dark lance, the Knight stabbed relentlessly at Cloud. Cloud had little time to react. He blocked many of the stabs from the lance. One stab slid off from the Buster Sword and slashed clear across Cloud's right shoulder. Cloud groaned as his flesh was cut. He retaliated with counterattacks of his own. The Delusory Knight was quick on its feet to avoid the massive swings. Looking for an opening, the Knight stabbed at Cloud on his leg. Cloud yelled out as he tried to pull the lance off of him.

The Knight was tackled off of Cloud by a graceful swoop from Bartz. The Mime smirked as he generated the same dark lance the Delusory Knight was holding. "Hey there," he said, "Seems we got the same weapons, except I still have mine while yours is on Cloud's leg…er…um, that didn't sound right."

Zidane rushed over to Cloud. "Oh wow…he got you kinda good," he said as he placed his hands on the lance. Upon doing so, Cloud grunted from the pain. Immediately Zidane froze. "Um, do you want me to pull it out? Or do you want to?"

"Just do it," Cloud hissed.

"Alright…" with one quick pull, Zidane manage to free Cloud from the lance. Cloud grunted as he held onto his leg. Much like his shoulder, it started to bleed.

"Easy!" Bartz let out as he destroyed the defenseless Manikin with ease. "Not much of a fight there, huh?" The Mime looked over at Cloud and Zidane. "Is he okay?"

"I'm fine…let's just get going," As Cloud stood up, he felt something sharp poke against his leg. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the elixir bottle; cracked from the lance.

"Oh damn!" Zidane let out, "What do we do?"

"We must hurry!" Cloud responded as he dashed towards the sanctuary, ignoring the pain that throbbed from his leg. He covered the crack with his hand, wanting to prevent any of the elixir from spilling out. Zidane and Bartz followed along, keeping close to Cloud.

Once the trio arrived at the sanctuary, Stiltzkin perked up his ears. "Kupo!" the Moogle squeaked, "You're back! How did it go?"

Cloud dashed past Stiltzkin to stop by Firion's side. Firion was still as pale as ever; as if his condition hadn't gotten better. Cosmos stood behind the bench where Firion was laid; often caressing the weapon master's hair. Cloud turned his attention to the cracked bottle in his hands. His glove was now soaked due to the liquid pouring out. Only half of the bottle remained full. Upon instinct, Cloud drank the elixir while trying to avoid any rogue glass shards that were in the liquid.

Zidane cocked his head as he approached Cloud. "Um, what?" Zidane let out, "I thought that elixir was for your friend there. Whatcha gonna do: actually pour the elixir in his mouth by kissing him…?"

Zidane stopped in mid sentence as he was not expecting Cloud to do the following action. Cloud quickly leaned over Firion. With one hand, he scooped up Firion's head, cradling it softly while the other opened his fallen companion's mouth, Cloud pressed his lips against Firion's and allowed the liquid to flow in. Both Zidane and Bartz jumped back and blushed at the scene. Zidane's tail erected as Bartz was left speechless.

"I…I was just joking!" Zidane shouted.

Though there were people around him, to Cloud, only he and Firion existed at that moment. He concentrated only on curing him, even if it meant this way. Cloud could not comprehend why he was doing this. It just came out as a reaction. His cheeks burned as he heard a soft moan followed by a gentle lick against his tongue. Cloud's azure eyes widen as he felt Firion's tongue brush against his.

Firion moaned softly as he slowly opened his eyes. He didn't react much to the pair of lips that were brushed against his, but when his vision came to, he jerked. Both Cloud and he broke away from each other. Firion used the back of his hand to wipe away the small drip of saliva that fell from his lips. He glared at Cloud with a bewildered expression on his face. He felt his entire being burn up from the embarrassment. He wasn't sure what to say at Cloud at that point. All he could do is just stare at him.

"It is quite good that you are doing well now," Cosmos spoke; interrupting the awkward moment, "How fare you, Firion?"

Firion looked away from Cloud to face Cosmos. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I am Cosmos the Goddess of Harmony. You are safe now in my sanctuary. Cloud salvaged you from a fatal condition and brought you here to me."

"We made it…" Firion murmured under his breath. He looked around him, examining the sanctuary. The young weapon master was awestruck by his surroundings. Never did he see such a beautiful, serene place before. He took notice of Zidane and Bartz. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked back at Cosmos. "Where's Tidus and Cecil?"

Cosmos frowned. "I am sorry…but they have not arrived yet."

"Damn…they could be in danger," Firion let out as he tried get off from the bench, but nearly toppled over due to the current lack of strength on his legs. Cloud quickly grabbed Firion in order to support him.

"You're still weak," Cloud replied, "You're barely recovering from that spell you were on."

Firion blushed but quickly batted Cloud's hands off of him. "I'm fine," he said, "But we're uncertain if Cecil and Tidus are. I have to go look for them." Firion paused for a moment as he looked away from Cloud. "So…you brought me here…"

"Kupo! And Stiltzkin too!" Stiltzkin yelped, "I'm so glad you're alive, Firion!"

Firion let out a small smile at the tiny Moogle. "Glad to see you're alright…"

"Ya know, before you run out there and try to get yourself killed again," Zidane interrupted, "You should at least wait until the elixir's effects kick in completely. Bartz and I risked our lives to save both you and your friends here."

"Oh…I deeply apologize," Firion replied, "I appreciate both your help…perhaps it is wise if I do rest up."

For the time being, Firion rested up. He could still feel rather nauseous and light headed, but the effects were depleted as time went by. However, both he and Cloud were avoiding each other throughout the rest of the day. Questions that would pop into Firion's head bothered him. He wanted to get answers, but wasn't too sure if he should approach Cloud, since said mercenary hadn't spoke to him since he woke up. He shook his head, thinking that his questions were unimportant. _This is no time to be thinking of that, _he thought, _I should be searching for Tidus and Cecil…but it would be foolish to travel alone at night. I shouldn't have gotten so careless. Thanks to my recklessness, they could be in danger. What kind of a leader and friend am I?_

Cloud walked over to Firion and sat down beside him. He extended his hand, offering bread and dried meat. "Here," he said softly, "You should eat something."

Firion looked down at Cloud's hand, as if examining the food. He gently took the bread and meat. "Thanks," was all Firion replied with. The two warriors remained silent. Both Cloud and Firion looked out into the distance, lost in their own trance. Firion's fingers played around with the bread and meat in a nervous manner. The awkward tension returned as neither of them wanted to face each other.

Without saying anything, Cloud got up and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Firion let out, "Where are you going?"

"Its quite obvious I'm making you feel nervous," Cloud replied, "Thought I'd leave you alone."

"Oh…" Firion bit his lip. He had to ask Cloud what was bothering him on his mind. "Cloud…why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You know what I mean!" A blush tainted Firion's cheeks as his heart accelerated.

Cloud looked at the ground. He stood quiet for a brief moment before he answered. "The elixir bottle was broken. Half of the liquid was gone and small pieces of glass were mixed with the liquid. I drank some of it and poured it into your mouth since I didn't want you to accidentally swallow glass. That is why you found me in an awkward position with you."

"Ah…I see," Firion responded as he was at a loss for words, "Either way…um…thank you for saving me."

Cloud didn't reply. Instead, the mercenary walked off to be alone. Firion swore that he saw Cloud's face redden but disregarded it as he turned his attention to his food. If he were to save Cecil and Tidus, he had to recover completely.

Continuing through their journey, Cecil and Tidus walked through the Crystal World. Both men were feeling the fatigue from their walk and battles. Tidus narrowed his eyes as his stomach growled loudly. He wasn't sure how long both he and Cecil were walking, but to him it felt like an eternity. He placed a hand on his stomach. "Ugh…" he groaned.

"You alright?" Cecil asked.

"I'm starving and I'm starting to get tired," Tidus replied, "How far away IS this sanctuary?"

"That I'm uncertain about," Cecil responded, "I have never seen it before. We can only hope that this is the right way."

A loud scream disrupted Cecil and Tidus' conversation. Both warriors looked at each other, as if trying to decide whether or not to investigate the scream. In hopes to find more survivors like themselves, the duo ran in the direction of the scream. They came upon a young, blond girl. Her flowery cape draped over her short, red dress as she tried to crawl away from an upcoming Manikin. Curly, blond locks hindered her view as she stuck her gloved hand out. "Get away!" she screamed as she conjured up a shard of ice. The icy spell pierced through the Manikin, however, it was not enough to stop it.

"Terra!" shouted a small child. The red armored youth was a way away from his companion, fighting off a Manikin of his own. The large feathers in his helmet bounced along with his blond ponytail as he slashed at his opponent. He yelled and grunted as he fought as valiantly as he could while keeping an eye out for his friend.

Terra, the young woman, stared in fear as the Manikin kept approaching her. Fear overwhelmed her for many reasons, but her biggest fear was not from her opponent but from her very own powers. She was unsure of what to do, nor could she react accordingly. The Imitation Liegeman growled as it took its lance, aiming it at the fallen girl. Terra closed her eyes. She held out her hands, using them as some sort of shield to protect her, but a distorted yell caught her attention. The Liegeman howled in pain as a dark lance pierced through its heart, shattering it into dozens of pieces. Terra looked bewildered. Her eyes were locked onto Cecil. "No!" she shouted, "Go away!"

"Please, My Lady, I mean you no harm," Cecil replied, "I merely…"

"Get away from her!" shouted the young boy as he dashed towards Terra once he defeated his foe. "You better stay away from her!" The young knight pointed his sword at Cecil's helmet. His green eyes narrowed. He slightly shifted his position, so that Terra was completely behind him.

"Cool it, brat!" Tidus let out as he gave the young child a whack on the head, "Cecil and I came to save your butts! We're the good guys!"

"Good guys?" the youth cocked his head, "I don't trust your words."

"Please, we mean you no harm," Cecil replied, "We heard your scream and came to your aid. Forgive our intrusion, but we could not let you both handle them alone."

The armored youth still had a stern look on his face. He examined both Tidus and Cecil as if looking for something. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I am Cecil," spoke Cecil.

"The name's Tidus, Star Blitzball Player of the Zanarkand Abes," Tidus smiled at Terra and the young knight.

"Pray tell us your names," Cecil asked gently.

Terra, the young mage looked at pair. Her fear prevented her from saying anything to the men before her, even though they had saved her life. The young knight stood in front of Terra and looked at the older men. "I'm the Legendary Onion Knight," he said, "My companion is named Terra. We've been hounded by those creatures ever since we awoke here. Not too sure what they are, but they seem so dead like. We did manage to find two that looked like both of you..."

"We can assure you that we are not associated with those creatures," Cecil replied, "They are Manikins. We do not know where they came from but they seem to be attracted to light. Are you two warriors of Cosmos?"

"Cosmos?" Onion Knight asked.

"We're looking for this Cosmos," Tidus remarked, "a midget told us to look for her." Tidus squat down as he placed his hand close to the ground. "She's about this tall and has a nasty attitude."

"We know nothing about 'Cosmos' nor about this midget you're talking about..."

"Cosmos is the goddess of harmony," Cecil said, "we have been on a search for her ever since we parted with two of our dear friends. Wondering alone is not a wise idea. I propose that all four of us should journey together. Perhaps Cosmos may be of help to both of you."

Onion Knight, with a stern look on his face, kept his eyes glued to Cecil. He looked over to Tidus then back at the dark knight. "You have such dark powers," he said, "how can we trust you?"

"Hey!" Tidus let out, "Cecil may have dark powers but he isn't a bad guy! In fact, he's as gentle as they come! We saved both of you and yet you don't trust us at all? You need to lighten up, kid."

"I am not a child!" Onion Knight spat, "You dare treat me as one I..."

"Luneth..." came a soft voice. All eyes were on Terra as she slowly stood up. "I...I do not sense any bad intentions from them. Though he is strong, his powers are not...evil. Please, may we go with them. I don't want to see you get hurt and I..."

Luneth, the young Onion Knight, looked at Terra. His expression soften at her voice. He sighed as he gently nodded. "You do not wish to fight," he said, "I understand, but I promised that I'd protect you no matter what."

"And you have," she said, "but they are not our enemies."

Onion Knight shook his head softly. "Alright, if you say so," he said as he averted his attention to Cecil and Tidus, "you two...we'll trust you for now. But let me make sure of this...if any of you harm Terra I won't hold back."

Tidus chuckled loudly at Onion Knight's threats. "You really are some bodyguard for her," he said, "calm down, we won't hurt her. I think its adorable that a little guy like you really is barking loudly."

"Tidus!" Cecil let out, "he may not seem like it, but he is a proud warrior."

"Heh, okay...okay," Tidus replied, "I'm sorry there, kid...er...Onion Knight, was it?"

Onion Knight crossed his arms. "Yeah..."

"Well, let's get going! If we stick around long enough more of those Manikin freaks will show up!" Tidus ran up ahead, as if knowing the way through the Crystal World.

Onion Knight looked over at Cecil. "Is he always this rambunctious?" he asked.

"He has this sort of energy which I somewhat envy," Cecil replied, "but that is what makes Tidus himself. He may dive in head first into battles, but he knows when to pull back. He is one of my most trusted friends." Cecil paced himself, keeping Tidus within his eyesight. Onion Knight and Terra walked slowly, following Cecil. As the new group continued their journey, Terra stopped for a moment. Her hairs stood slightly on end as she felt a great power nearby. She slowly looked behind her, only to see the empty crevices of the Crystal World.

"Terra?" Onion Knight asked, "What's the matter?"

"I...I felt something," she said softly, "a strong power but..."

"We'll be on our guard," he said, "and Terra...don't worry, I'll protect you."

Terra smiled weakly at the younger warrior before her. She admired his courage and his dilegence, but she knew that deep down whatever it was that was watching them, they could not handle themselves. She feared the worst to come yet it seemed her companion was so sure of where they were going. He heart raced yet she tried to remain calm as she continued walking with her friends.

Hovering above the crevices, two lone silhouettes watched the quartet walk by. A pale woman of snowy white hair, and alluring red and black garments stood next to a decorative jester looking man. The man's face were covered in white make up. When he smiled, his purple lips curled wickedly. His vibrant blond hair had decorative feathers sprouting out.

"Is that the girl?" spoke the alluring female.

"Yes!" squealed her comrade, "there she is! My dear friend!"

"Shall I take her?"

"No! Not yet!"

The woman cocked her head. "Why not, Kefka?"

"Because my dear Cloud of Darkness," Kefka said, "that ruins the fun! What fun would it be to kill them off right now then nap the girl? It'd be more fun to wait until we can unleash her potential...then have her destroy every last one of them AND Cosmos! It'd be delightful thing!"

The Cloud of Darkness did not understand such emotions. She thought that all was meaningless, including such emotional torment that Kefka was known for. She would go along with Kefka's plans until the time came for all to return to the Void. It was only a matter of time before that were to happen, then she would once again sleep eternally. She kept her eyes on Kefka; watching him bounce around in delight as she could only imagined what was going through his head. She dropped the thought, thinking it was utter meaninglessness to even try to understand mortals, including the man next to her. She slowly turned away from the crevice and started to float away.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Kefka shouted.

Cloud of Darkness didn't reply but rather continued floating as if not hearing him.

"Oh! You're no fun at times!" Kefka whined as he sat on thin air and crossed his arms. "I wonder what Kujie-coo is doing right now. He whines too much, but at least he keeps me entertained."

_Yeah, sorry for the long wait. I've kept busy and not to mention I had a bit of a block on this story. I do apologize for those that waited and I would like to thank all those that supported this story. It still will continue and hopefully I can update faster now. Thank you so much for the support._


End file.
